Old timer fulfils walkaton dream

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Photocall before the flag off at 7am.

Photocall before the flag off at 7am.

GROWING up in Limbang, Abu Bakar Matasan was sprightly and intelligent.

Hence, it came as no surprise that he was picked by the English education officer to study at Tanjong Lobang School from the age of eight, starting at Primary 5.

“I was put in this new boarding school, away from my parents and kampung friends. I had to look after myself from then on,” he recalled.

Looking back, however, he said the experience was a blessing in disguise. Being on his own so young not only steeled his self-confidence but also helped him develop an independent spirit and a hard shell for life’s hard knocks.

All his kampung mates who left home to study in a town school, managed by foreigners and Chinese teachers, had acquired an education ‘under their own steam’. And he did it the same way.

He remembers they had only one Malay teacher — Yusuf Hanifah (now a datuk) — and though the school was multi-faith, the Muslim students enjoyed their own fellowship and religious instructions.

Abu Bakar literally ‘grew up’ at Tanjong Lobang School. His duties as a boarder included chores like repairing broken chairs and tables, cutting grass and washing toilets but he never complained.

In later years when he was teaching at the government school in Limbang, it was his turn to supervise little girls and boys doing the things he did 15 years before.

Abu Bakar Matasan or ABM as many people call him, graduated with a degree in English from University Malaya under a government scholarship, and taught for a while before joining Shell where he became a trainer. In that capacity, he motivated many corporate groups and also students to excel.

Today, though retired, he is still motivating friends, business people and organisations, and has also been working closely with school principals and other educationists.

Recently, he gave a motivational talk to the new intakes at ILP.

Walking in the dark, not long after passing the Ngu Junction in Niah.

Walking in the dark, not long after passing the Ngu Junction in Niah.

According to him, on the third Saturday of January, he and the new intakes carried out a beach-cleaning campaign at Luak Esplanade as part of the Local Agenda programme in collaboration with the Miri Municipal Council and other organisations.

“It’s good youths are making a mark in helping to clean the beaches of Miri. We need a lot of help to keep our environment clean — as well as our body and soul,” he said.

Abu Bakar has been jogging to keep fit since 1983. Today, at 68, he still stays in touch with sports and health activities. Even farming, which he is doing now, is an exercise in itself.

Schooling at Tanjong Lobang also meant he was trained in sports by good PE teachers.  Abu Bakar has been an athlete all his life and football is his great love.

Karen Neem of the Malaysian Nature Society, noted: “He is very inspirational. At his age, he was still able to do the solo walkaton this year. I have never seen or heard of anyone his age doing this. Quite unique!”

For Abu Bakar, the solo effort — under Projek Walkaton Niah-Bekenu 2016 — had not been all that solitary though.

Two hospital staff lent their moral support by accompanying him 42km of the way. They came ready with first aid kit.

“I did limp into the Bekenu junction with two big blisters. But it was all worth it,” he said.

A student from SMK Baru named Ewan also walked with him. It was quite a feat for the youngster to have made it to the end. He not only completed the long walk but also carried the Jalur Gemilang throughout.

Both he and Abu Bakar kept their spirits up by encouraging each other as they plodded along.

Along the road from Niah to Bekenu.

Along the road from Niah to Bekenu.

Solo effort

Projek Walkaton Niah-Bekenu 2016 was Abu Bakar’s attempt to walk solo from Niah at Simpang Ngu to the Bekenu junction — a distance of 61km. He started out at 7am, taking 14 hours to cover the course. It was the third and final leg of a cumulative bid on his part to achieve a much cherished aim — to ultimately walk solo the entire stretch from Bintulu to Miri, a daunting trek over 222km of country roads.

Abu Bakar had always dreamt of doing this one day. And to fulfil his dream, he divided the endeavour into three legs, taking into account factors of logistics, his job and age.

In January 1980, he completed the first leg — Bintulu to Niah over 111km in four days and three nights. On Dec 25 (Christmas Day) 2009, he followed through the second leg — the 48km Bekenu-Miri sector — in 10 hours and 40 minutes. Completing the third leg — Projek Walkaton Niah-Bekenu 2016 — fulfilled his over three-decades-old dream of a solo bid over the entire Bintulu-Miri stretch.

Projek Walkton Niah-Bekenu 2016 was sponsored by Koperasi Warisasn Bestari Berhad (Kowarich), Advance Vision Resources Sdn Bhd (AVR), Fast Exchange Pro (FEP), Uni Legacy Sdn Bhd (Uni Legacy) and Akademi Jemaah Forex (AJFx).

Abu Bakar was provided with a pair of good shoes, a special shirt, first aid kit, a huge banner and vehicle support. He is very grateful to those who helped him with the paper and liaison work.

He said: “If I had the support, I would like to do Miri-Kuching before 2020. It’s about 900km on paper and can be done within 28 days. 30km a day is my target at my age — so that I don’t get hurt. Besides, I must make preparations for food, camping, medical supplies and security. Safety is of paramount importance.”

On the Niah-Bekenu solo walk, he said he would not have apportioned any blame had anything happened to him on the road or at the end of the walk.

“It was solely my own initiative, so I was prepared to take full responsibility for it,” he stressed.

Noting that he is already over 68 years old, a spectator said “the cikgu is really courageous to do this walkaton. I can hardly cover 10km myself on a hot and dusty road. May God bless him!”

Taking a break along the route.

Taking a break along the route.