On 1 April 2017, Malakoff collaborated with Kementerian Tenaga, Teknologi Hijau dan Air (KeTTHA) to organize Malakoff-KeTTHA Ride from Pulai Springs Resort, Johor Bahru to Malakoff’s Tanjung Bin Power Plant (TBPP), Pontian as part of the ministry’s working visit to the power plant.

50 cyclists comprised of participants from KeTTHA, Malakoff, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) and Media Prima were all fired up to cover the 60km route. The entourage from KeTTHA was headed by none other than its Secretary General, YBhg. Dato’ Seri Ir Dr Zaini Ujang, a cycling enthusiast.

Cyclists were up as early as 5am to prepare for the impending ride. Although the ride distance was about 60km, proper preparation, nutrition and hydration plan were important to ensure that they were able to cycle comfortably. They went down as soon as breakfast was served at 6am and took the opportunity to discuss the route profile amongst themselves and strategize their cycling pace and energy to finish the distance.

The lobby was buzzing with cyclists doing last-minutes checks on their bikes and taking photos, motorcycle marshals briefing the support crew on the rules of the convoy, and the organizing committee making sure that no stone were left unturned to ensure the event ran smoothly as planned.

The lead marshal from PDRM Johor gave a safety briefing to the group, followed by a doa recital for the well-being of the whole convoy… and they’re off! At 8am sharp, the group was flagged off from the hotel lobby by En Mohd Shokri Daud, Senior Vice President, Local Generation Division of Malakoff.

The first leg of the route proved to be a challenge for the cyclists and certainly not for the faint-hearted! As the police and marshals cleared the way and halted traffic for the cyclists, a few cyclists were dropped from the big group and trickled into a single line as the climbs became a measure of their strengths. A few cyclists suffered from cramps as they pushed to their limits, but they were quickly attended to by the medics. The first pit stop at kilometer 17.5 provided some relief as they refueled with water, isotonic, bread and bananas.

The cyclists were back in high spirits as they were determined to complete the ride. The second leg was less undulating and the cyclists enjoyed drafting in a group that made the distance and speed more bearable.

At last, the cyclists were all smiles when they arrived at the admin building of TBPP, greeted by En Hairol Azizi (Plant Manager of TBPP) and the management of TBPP. The cyclists were also presented with a token of appreciation to commemorate the ride and served with refreshment upon arrival.

YBhg Dato’ Seri Ir Dr Zaini was then whisked into TBPP’s Boardroom for a briefing on the operation of TBPP, followed by a site tour headed by En Hairol that lasted for almost three hours. The entourage were taken to TBPP’s central and coal control rooms to witness the operations first-hand while listening to explanations given by TBPP’s management team.

Speaking of the event through his Facebook account, YBhg Dato’ Seri Ir Dr Zaini acknowledged the cycling event held by Malakoff as a recreational activity “to promote cycling and endurance spirit among participants from KeTTHA, Malakoff and UTM”.

“Our next target is to make cycling as part of our alternatives to private and public transports. Therefore we need to create awareness, provide appropriate infrastructures and adequate facilities, as well as ensuring safety for cyclists in urban ecosystem”, he added.

He also pointed out that cycling has a better proposition compared to many others in reducing carbon emission and traffic congestion, apart from promoting a healthy lifestyle.

YBhg Dato’ Seri Ir Dr Zaini was appointed as the Secretary General of KeTTHA on 5 August 2016 and this was his first working visit to TBPP since taking office.