Published on: Saturday, December 15, 2007 |
Kota Kinabalu: Sabah will be playing host to the 5th Malaysia National Harley Owners' Group (HOG) Rally for the first time next year.
Some 300 participants and more than 150 Harley Davidson motorcycles from around the world will be involved in the event that will take place here from May 28 to June 2.
Sabah Tourism Board (STB) and the HOG Malaysia Chapter are jointly organising the event that is expected to attract Harley enthusiasts from Singapore, Indonesia, Brunei, Hong Kong, Japan, Australia, Thailand and the US to ride their motorcycles through scenic destinations covering a distance of 750km.
Disclosing this, STB Chairman Datuk Tengku Zainal Adlin said the event is timely as Visit Malaysia Year has been extended to 2008, putting Malaysia and Sabah on the map as a premiere adventure destination.
"Sabah was chosen as a venue for its scenic beauty, pristine beaches and warm and friendly people. Shangri-La's Tanjung Aru (STAR) Resort has been named the official resort for the rally.
"The rally is also a great opportunity for bike enthusiasts to feast their eyes on various Harley Davidson motorbikes and custom-made bikes made," he said at a press conference, here, Friday.
Meanwhile, Harley Motorcycles Owners Club Malaysia Chapter President, Choo Kai Mun, said to date, they have confirmed participation of Harley bikers from the US, Germany, England, Hong Kong, Singapore, Macau, Indonesia, Brunei, Singapore and Thailand.
"Participants for this coming event will have the opportunity to visit Survivor Island or Pulau Tiga, ride to the Poring Hot Springs, visit the Kundasang War Memorial, ride to the Kinabalu Park, Kota Belud, feast on Sabah seafood, visit the Murut Cultural Village, get to see the Orang Utan and other Sabah endangered animals at the Lok Kawi Wildlife park.
"The public will also have the opportunity to view the bikes by June 1 when there will be bike show and bike events on the resort grounds.
"They will be able to mingle with the bikers, take a joy ride on the bike and watch our legendary bike events which are standard Harley Davidson events like the balloon toss, the slow ride, the sausage bite and the tyre toss," he said.
Choo said part of the activities of the HOG Malaysia Chapter are to promote safe riding, to instil the spirit or brotherhood between all Harley Owners around the world and to contribute to charity.
He said there would also be an auction of a Harley Davidson motorbike, the proceeds of which will go to an international-based Care for Children charity organisation while proceeds from the bike rides will go to needy local orphanages in Sabah.
Choo said the HOG Malaysia Chapter is part of the Harley Owners Group International, which has more over 1.2 million members worldwide, making it the biggest club in the world.
Also present were STAR Resort General Manager Matthias Roeke, CEO of Naza Bikes Datuk SM Zulkifli SM Amin and representatives HOG Singapore Chapter, Indonesia, Brunei, and Labuan.
