MISSION ACCOMPLISHED: Syed Ahmad poses next to his Kawasaki 130cc motorcycle used for the recent road trip.
KUCHING: The ‘I Am Malaysian’ project solo motorcycle rider, Syed Ahmad Abdul Hadi Syed Hussein, was appalled at the conditions of road infrastructure in Sabah and Sarawak which he found to be lagging behind those in the peninsula.
Having reached Kuching on Monday after his latest two month road trip which started from Sumatera, Indonesia, he said he did not expect to encounter such poor road conditions since both states were blessed with natural resources which had contributed much to Malaysia’s strong economy.
“The impression I got was that I felt I was still riding in Kalimantan (Indonesia), only to realise that I was already in fact in my own country. Why is the quality of the road so bad? I do not think it should be the case because the country is rich with natural resources and the economy should be in better position (than the other countries).
”In Kuala Lumpur and the rest of the peninsula, we have good highways but here when I asked where is the highway, I was directed to a road which does not give comfortable ride on my motorcycle,” he told reporters here yesterday.
The road trip from Sumatera to Kuching was his latest venture in his attempt to travel all the continents of the world using a ‘kapcai’ (low-powered motorcycle).
He is best known for his road trip from Malaysia to London in 2010 which saw him traversing through 23 countries within six months.
Interestingly, his motorcycle carries the number QSM17 which is vehicle registration number for Sibu.
According to him, the number bought in Kuala Lumpur several years ago signifies ‘Kismat’ — an English word of Turkish/ Persian origin which means ‘Will of God’.
Syed Ahmad, also a humanitarian worker with United Nations and previously involved in humanitarian projects in Acheh and Gaza, said he believed his road trips would be beneficial in terms of acquiring information for logistics and transportation during times of disaster.
He, nonetheless, conceded his attempts had not received much fanfare, government support and corporate sponsorship, although he did hint it might have something to do with the name used for his project.
“I chose to use ‘I Am Malaysian’ because it represents who I am, a Malaysian. That’s what I tell people when I am in foreign countries. I do not say I am 1Malaysia … I believe the identity should not represent those in the government, but it should represent the whole country,” he said.
Joining him during the interview with reporters yesterday were PKR Sarawak information chief Vernon Kedit and women chief Nurhanim Hanna Mokhsen.
Though reiterating his stand that he was neither a politician nor a PKR member, Syed Ahmad stated that he supports change and progress, and a change in government for a better Malaysia.
He also expressed his support for the London-based Radio Free Sarawak (RFS) which he claimed to be an alternative source of information for the rural folks so that they are not merely limited to officially-controlled sources that tend to only present one side of the news.
“Whether RFS is transmitting truth or lies is beside the point. The principle remains that in a democratic country, the democratic principles must be adhered to, and freedom of speech is a basic principle of democracy.
“Let’s not underestimate Malaysians. I am sure many Malaysians can decide for themselves what is true or false, poisonous and factual,” he said.
RFS, which broadcasts on shortwave frequency from London, has been the bane of the State Barisan Nasional which accused RFS of poisoning the minds of listeners.
Several police reports have been lodged against it, while RFS had claimed attempts have been made to jam its broadcast.