(From right) Anamalay, Pui, Chai, Pei Tze Voon (their standby mechanic), Tay and Lee with their scooters. Andrew Li is not in the photo.
IT is not really easy riding a motorcycle over a long stretch of road — say from Kuching city to Lundu — despite the highly romanticised notion that it can be quite liberating.
Being a motorcyclist myself, I know hours of sitting upright and exposed to the elements can certainly take its toll, even on younger riders.
So imagine my surprise when Lee Sze Min, an express logistics manager, told me he and his team of five had just ridden six days over 546km from the state capital to Kuala Belait up north.
“It was challenging all right but not impossible,”the sprightly 57-year-old told thesundaypost.
“If a middle-aged man like me could do it, so could anyone.”
Lee first got his Vespa scooter at 19 and has never parted with it since.
“It’s a Green Sprint — simply a sight to behold,” he said, adding that he now owns three of the Italian iconic scooters.
This hardcore Vespa enthusiast, however, believes it is somewhat ‘incomplete’ to just own the motorbikes without anyone to share the passion with.
“Back in 2003, I found a few other Vespa owners in Kuching and from then on, we have been riding around the city and further — as far up as Serian. The journey to Kuala Belait, however, has, by far, been the ultimate challenge,” Lee said.
The most senior member of the group, Anamalay Palayan, agreed.
“For me, riding long distance is never a problem. I frequently go to Sibu from Kuching and back. Still, Kuala Belait was a different kettle of fish altogether,” he said.
At 79, the former civil servant looks just as sprightly as — if not more than — a man half his age.
“It’s the company you’re with. I hang out with young people a lot, which makes me feel young too,” said Anamalay who also speaks fluent Hokkien and Hakka.
Pui (left) and Li checking Tay’s Vespa which encountered problems on the way to Bintulu.
Inspired trip
On what had prompted the Kuching-Kuala Belait adventure, Lee said it was an article written about them by a local blogger Husnul Khatimah Jane.
“Jane has been our strongest supporter. She wrote about us when we took part in the state’s Golden Jubilee celebrations in 2013, and also when we joined the Kuching City Day parade last year.
“So when this proposal (Kuching-Kuala Belait trip) came up, she was the first to give it the push. We credit the whole trip to her.”
Lee also said another of their objective was to highlight the ‘unyielding spirit’ of Sarawakians to the world.
“We wanted to show Sarawakians can do anything. At the same time, we wanted to meet fellow Vespa enthusiasts outside Kuching — like those in Miri and Brunei — and share our ideas and experiences.
“We also hope our feat can help tourism in the state. It’s a great feeling to be riding the long stretches of roads across Sarawak. Yes, our backs might be sore by the end of the journey but the satisfaction was really indescribable,” he enthused.
Bumps and obstacles
Apart from Lee and Anamalay, the Kuching-Kuala Belait team comprised Pui Thian Jin, 57; Michael Tay, 45; Chai Chee Onn, 49 and Andrew Li, 53.
“Mr Pui, who is a motorcycle shopowner, oversaw repairs and maintenance of the bikes together with Michael (Tay), an electrical engineer. We also had fellow Vespa riders standing by in Kuching. Another two were trailing us because in a long-distance trip like this, anything could happen,” Lee said.
Sure enough, Tay’s scooter broke down on their first day when they passed Serian.
“Later, another bike had a problem. After that, we were stopped by JPJ (Road Transport Department) officers in Betong. The whole thing put us around two hours behind schedule. We knew we wouldn’t be able to reach Bintulu before nightfall but we continued via Tatau anyway.
“It was really dark and we had to travel at snail’s pace before arriving at Bintulu past 8pm. Talk about 15 hours of ordeal,” Lee said of the earlier part of the trip.
The next day was more pleasant for Lee and his biking mates as they scooted on to Miri.
“It was raining in some parts but overall, it was good. When we arrived at Bekenu, three riders from Miri were waiting for us. They escorted us to meet another two riders before we headed to Brunei where we met the Sultanate’s Scooter Owners Group president Tuan Derius Haris and his men.
“There, we received warm and lavish hospitality from our hosts. They accompanied us to Kuala Belait, officially marking the first leg of the trip,” Lee said.
According to him, the gathering of Vespa riders from Kuching, Miri and Brunei was ‘very enlightening’ as it enabled them to discuss future programmes that might include collaborations.
“It was a short meeting but a very fruitful one. We talked about planning a charity ride — which is a really great idea.”
The journey back to Kuching was more relaxed for the riders as they got to see more of Sarawak along the way.
“As you know, we are a ‘seasoned’ bunch and have been around. However, it’s nice to just take your time and soak up the sights along the way. We visited our own Natural Wonder — the Niah Cave, stopped by quiet towns and villages across Sibu, Tatau, Sarikei, Bintulu, Selangau and Sarikei, and met many lovely people.
“Sarawak is, indeed, a place of unity and friendliness with so many interesting attractions. These are our trademark features that we should let the world know.
“We wish for Sarawakians, especially the younger ones, to treasure their home state by seeing it the way we see it,” Lee added.
Lee and his mates get to visit Niah Cave on their way back to Kuching.
The Kuching team welcomed by the Miri riders.