Love on the bridge

IT was a touching moment when 26-year-old mechanical design engineer Tan Ju-Lien proposed to his girlfriend Khoo Mei Yee at the Sultan Abdul Halim Mu’adzam Shah Bridge during the 56th Merdeka Ride.

Tan said both of them were born in Penang, and to make it really memorable, he decided to propose on the bridge which was one of the most recognisable landmarks in Malaysia.

The proposal yesterday was witnessed by Tan’s father, friends of the couple and participants of the event.

Khoo, 26, an auditor, who almost shed tears of joy, said she was caught by surprise as she did not expect it.

She said she got to know Tan while he was working part-time at a shop in Queensbay Mall six years ago.

The 56th Merdeka Ride has been entered into the Malaysia Book of Records for having the largest number of participants in a cycling event.

More than 10,000 cyclists from all over Malaysia and as far as Thailand, Singapore, Taiwan, Hong Kong, United States, United Kingdom, Australia, Germany and the Netherlands took part in the event.

Event organising chairman Datuk Farizan Darus, who is also State Secretary, said the idea to have a cycling event along the bridge was initiated by Yang di-Pertua Negeri Tun Abdul Rahman Abbas.

“He wrote a letter to concession holder Jambatan Kedua Sdn Bhd (JKSB) for permission to hold this ride.

“After approval was obtained, a cycling organising committee was formed with him as the patron,” he said.

“Apart from enabling participants to cycle on the longest bridge in Southeast Asia, the event also aims to gather funds for a few groups and charities including the Lions Club (for them to purchase a blood bank bus) and also the TYT Disaster Fund,” he added.

[ (Front, from second left) Ang, Abdul Malik, Chong, Farizan, Kamal and Abdul Rahman Abbas at the 56th Merdeka Ride along the Sultan Abdul Halim Mu'adzam Shah Bridge in Penang. ]

According to Lions Club of Penang (Host) president Jimmy Ang, the event managed to raise about RM600,000 of which RM150,000 was donated by the Ideal Group of Companies, another RM150,000 was given by Taglink Group and the rest came from the RM80 entry fee collection.

The cyclists gathered at the Batu Kawan Stadium and left for the bridge to be flagged off at 8am by Abdul Rahman at the 4.8km marker of the island-bound lane of the bridge.

They rode until the mid-span of the bridge and back again to the stadium. They covered a total of 46km.

There was also a lucky draw featuring the grand prize of a Vespa LX 150 worth RM10,000. Other lucky draw prizes included bicycles and bike accessories.

The event was jointly organised by the state government, JKSB and Lions Club of Penang (Host).

Also supporting the event were the Works Ministry, Lembaga Lebuhraya Malaysia and Projek Penyelenggaraan Lebuh-raya.

The Star was the official media. The event organiser was Bicycle Town Sdn Bhd.

Among those present at the event were JKSB chairman Tan Sri Dr Sulaiman Mahbob, Star Publications (M) Bhd executive director Tan Sri Kamal Hashim, state Financial Officer Datuk Mokhtar Jait, state Religious Affairs Committee chairman Datuk Abdul Malik Abul Kassim, Penang Youth and Sports, Women, Family and Community Development Committee chairman Chong Eng and state Tourism Development and Culture Committee chairman Danny Law Heng Kiang.