Journey to founder’s birthplace
HOMECOMING: PFS convoy members drive 20,000km to UK to pay homage to R.S. Hutchings
THERE was a deep sense of accomplishment among the participants in the Penang Free School (PFS) Bicentenary 2016 Overland Drive expedition.
They had completed a 19,925km journey across 18 countries to reach the birthplace of their founder in the United Kingdom (UK).
The drive, which was flagged off on July 18 by PFS Bicentenary Committee chairman Datuk Abdul Rafique Abdul Karim and other committee members, took 30 participants in six four-wheel-drive vehicles from the school here to Dittisham in the UK.
They arrived on Sept 28. Dittisham is the birthplace and hometown of Reverend Robert S. Hutchings, who founded the school in 1816.
Saw Saik Mun, 60, the organising chairman and an immediate former president of The Old Frees’ Association, said the trip was first mooted by the participants five years ago, and a 60-day recce drive was done in 2012 to familiarise with the route through Central Asia.
The convoy was led by his brother, Saw Sek Lam, 61, who participated in the recce drive from start to finish.
The whole trip spanned 18 countries, including Thailand, Laos, China, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Russia, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Czech Republic, Germany, France and Belgium.
Despite facing obstacles and hurdles, the participants had an enjoyable experience.
“We faced bad road conditions in certain parts of China, most parts of Central Asia, and a little in south Russia,” he said.
There were roads in the mountains of China that were not paved and the convoy was obstructed by a landslide once. In certain countries, the participants were required to drive on the right lane, which made overtaking difficult.
Saw said navigators in the vehicles helped the drivers to look out when passing other vehicles.
“In China, the driver had to obtain the country’s driving licence. A guide must be present with the convoy throughout their journey.”
He said the presence of guides was mandatory in China, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and Russia.
While traversing the mountainous The and other alumni inside St George’s Church in Dittisham, United Kingdom. They include Lotus chief operating officer Aslam Farikullah
Store Sdn Bhd managing director Datuk Andrew Lim Tatt Keong
Sek Lam (seventh from right) and secretary is Juni Ewe region of Tibet, which was about 4,500 metres above sea-level, six participants suffered from altitude sickness,
“We had to prepare the medication beforehand,” he said, adding that in Tibet, the weather was cold, even during the July summer.
“In certain parts of the country, the temperature ranged between 4°C to 15°C.
“At high altitude, oxygen concentration goes down by about 20 to 30 per cent, thus two vehicles suffered a loss of power due to incomplete combustion.
“This caused black smoke to come out of the vehicles’ exhaust,” he said, adding that the situation got better as they descended the mountains.
In Uzbekistan, diesel was only sold to lorries and buses. However,
Saw the drive progressed smoothly except the occasional tyre punctures.
Saw said the only problem they faced was in Tallinn, Estonia, where two vehicles in the convoy were burgled and the group lost their supplies of Malaysian food.
As they had pre-booked their lodgings, it was important for the expedition to keep up with schedule to not miss the bookings. He said locals in the places they passed by were excited to see the convoy.
DRB-Hicom Bhd group chairman Tan Sri Mohd Khamil Jamil, who is an Old Free, arranged for four Lotus sports cars to escort the group to Dittisham upon arrival in Dover, the UK, from Dunkirk port in France.
Another participant, Wong Mei Fong, 57, said she enjoyed seeing the building architectures change as they journeyed from one city to another in China.
“The houses were built differently from one province to another.”
Wong said the alumni had great love for the school, and that was the reason they wanted to see the birthplace of the founder.
At Dittisham, the group met a descendent of Hutchings, Helen Drury, and also Helen Woodman, a local resident who helped organise a thanksgiving service at St George’s church with the church committee.
At the church, the convoy members joined other alumni to proudly sing the school rally to celebrate their arrival. They were also treated to a sumptuous lunch.
The trip was self-funded as all participants paid for their travel needs and expenses, which amounted to about RM40,000 each.
Several government-linked and multinational companies also sponsored the trip.
Among them were DRB-Hicom, which contributed RM15,000 for the purchase of items used to facilitate the journey, including tents, jerry cans for fuel and GPS units.
Other sponsors included Motorola Solutions Singapore Pte Ltd and Peninsular Freight Sdn Bhd.