KOTA SAMARAHAN: Value life and ride safe when you are on the road, Assistant Minister for Youth and Sports Datuk Abdul Karim Hamzah said in a heartfelt reminder to big bikers.
“As a big biker myself I have seen many friends and bikers perish on the road due to negligence,” he said before officiating at the 5th Samarahan Bike Fest 2016 in the vicinity of Aiman Mall in Kota Samarahan yesterday.
“It is a painful experience having to deal with your own friends when they perish on the road. I do not want you to experience the same thing like I had,” he said.
He said it was always better to ride with care rather than to show off especially when riding a big machine as one never knows when disaster would strike.
“You may have a big and expensive bike but you are still small when you are on the road. Even a collision with the smallest vehicle can be fatal,” he added.
Abdul Karim, who is also Assistant Minister for Housing, said losing an expensive machine was one thing but losing a life was a different matter altogether. The emotional impact was greater.
He was impressed that there were more people with big bikes now and once the Pan Borneo Highway was completed the number would probably soar.
“Be more conscious on your safety. Having big bikes means more people in the state are economically well-off because it is not cheap to have big bikes,”he said.
He also sent his condolences to the families of two big bikers who were killed in a recent road accident on their way to the festival.
On the festival, he congratulated the organisers for doing a great job and was pleased to see so many riders from throughout the state, Brunei, Indonesia and Sabah, irrespective of race, religion and position in life to converge on Kota Samarahan.
“Thank you for coming and giving us the support and making this festival a grand affair.
“You too have shown the espirit de corp among one another and continue to foster good relationship between local and international bikers.”
Abdul Karim added that the gathering would bring a lot of economic benefits to Kota Samarahan which was fast developing.
“The town needs healthy activities like this festival so that people from all walks of life can come to see for themselves the development and facilities the town has.”
He hoped the festival would continue to be held here in the future and make the festival venue another landmark of Kota Samarahan.
Abdul Karim later opened the 1Azam Mini Business Carnival which sells all sort of goods and services and a gastronomical range of food and beverages.
The festival organising chairman, Afiq Ibrahim, also spoke at the function whereby he called for a minute’s silence for the two big bikers killed in a road accident while en route to the festival.
More than 1,000 big bikers from various clubs in the
region and 50,000 visitors are expected to attend the festival which started yesterday and ends on Sunday.
Samarahan Resident Abdul Rahman Sebeli Senusi, Kota Samarahan District Council chairman Datuk Peter Minos and secretary Simon Wong were among those in the crowd yesterday.