Pang completes record 1,712km ‘tip-to-tip’ bicycle ride
KUDAT: Professional photographer Louis Pang has entered the Malaysia Book of Records after completing a 1,712km solo charity bicycle ride from the southern tip of Borneo at Sematan, Sarawak to the northern tip of Borneo at Simpang Mengayau, Kudat.
On hand to congratulate him at Simpang Mengayau at the end of the arduous journey to raise awareness on the needs of the blind and the visually impaired in Sabah was Minister of Special Tasks Datuk Teo Chee Kang.
Called the ‘Tour of Hope’, the endeavour aims to raise RM2.9 million to build 72 homes for the blind and visually impaired at the Wallace Training Centre in Tuaran.
Teo said the worthy cause would not only instil awareness on the general public on the plight of these less fortunate people but also evoke in them generosity that will benefit this community as a whole.
“Louis Pang’s ride through more than 1,600 kilometres is not only admirable but praiseworthy as it shows determination and fortitude in this young man who once suffered severe back pain due to slip discs. I am sure it must have been very painful for him,” Teo said.
“Through his perseverance, he managed to overcome his ailment and now he has cycled all those kilometres and all in the name of raising awareness among the general public to raise funds for the blind.
“Nothing can be nobler than this gesture. We salute his tenacity in completing this ride and we are honoured that he made his finishing point at Simpang Mengayau Kudat.”
He added that Pang had also set an example and benchmark for youths of the state, in his bid to stay fit and healthy.
Teo said the government is aware of the needs of the less fortunate and has carried out many programmes to assist them.
For instance, Teo said, the blind and visually impaired had undergone many programmes that equipped them with living skills such as reflexology and mushroom cultivation, organic vegetable and free range chicken farming.
“I understand that many of the blind and visually impaired have become masseurs through training and some of them are now employed by massage outlets, operating on their own, while others are according services to the general public in areas like the Gaya Street Sunday Market among others.
“I am sure the implementation of such beneficial programmes were made successful by close cooperation between the society and the government as well as other non-governmental organizations (NGOs),” he said.