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Malaysian Prime Minister leads his cabinet and 10,000 cyclists on bike ride

1Malaysia Patriotic Cycle forms part of government's health drive to counter negative effects of economic progress...

Malaysia’s Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, has spent his final day in office ahead of a forthcoming general election leading thousands of his fellow citizens on a 12-kilometre bike ride, the 1Malaysia Patriotic Cycle, in Putrajaya, 25 kilometres south of capital city Kuala Lumpur.

Najib, who was joined by his wife and members of his cabinet in the 45-minute ride, which took in Putrajaya boulevard and Putrajaya lake and was expected to attract 10,000 cyclists, used the occasion to reflect on his latest four-year term in a speech to riders after the event, reports The Star.

"I am thankful, honoured and humbled to have bore this responsibility, to offer my service according to the best of my ability,” he said. "Together with the Cabinet and the civil servant teams, we are determined to take Malaysia to a greater height.

"If we are given a mandate for another five years, we will carry on this journey to the very end in Putrajaya," he added.

The city holds mass cycle events on the third Sunday of each month, and while attending one of those last month the prime minister told 15,000 attendees that exercise such as cycling had an important role to play in countering unwanted effects of the country’s rapid economic progress such as obesity and diabetes.

Notwithstanding that, no bike ride would be complete without cake, and after today’s event, which took place on the fourth anniversary of his current term beginning, Najib was presented with one to mark the occasion, as well as a framed photograph of the cyclists outside his official residence.

Whether voters will ask him to saddle up for another term or get on his bike remains to be seen.

Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.

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ronin | 10 years ago
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Regardless of the political motives, cycling is positive so...I approve  1

Malaysia is a nice place. It's great if you have someone to show you around so you can go to all the places the locals go to.

I'd stick to carbon bikes there though, I mean completely carbon with no conducting metal...I didn't know what lightning was until I saw lightning in Malaysia  13

Coming to think of it I didn't know what rain was 'til I saw rain in Malaysia. The kinda rain where you have to stop driving and park up until it's over because visibility is 0.

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