Monday, August 21, 2006

400 coming for 7th Borneo Island International Big Bike Festival

Kota Kinabalu: More than 400 bikers will converge in Sabah for the 7th Borneo Island International Big Bike Festival on Sept 16-17 in conjunction with the National Day celebration.

Brunei is expected to send the largest contingent totalling 200 bikers while others are from peninsula, Sarawak, Indonesia, Singapore Saudi Arabia and the Philippines.

Sabah Big Bikers Association President, Hamidah Yusof this is the first time that bikers from Jeddah are taking part in the annual event.

"The annual event has attracted big bikers enthusiasm from the oil country as logistically they are also very near to us.

"For the first time, we also received two to three bikers from Jeddah. All in all, we expect to have 350-400 participants excluding family members and pillion riders," she said.

She told this to reporters after paying a courtesy call on Tourism Malaysia (Sabah), Director Iskandar Mirza bin Mohd Yusof at the latter's office recently.

She said the event is providing an opportunity for them to promote the tourism industry in Malaysia and in particular, Sabah.

According to her, the programme would commence on Sept 16 starting with an exhibition of the riders' machines at Lintasan Desoaka.

This, Hamidah said would give the public an opportunity to have a closer look at the two-wheel vehicles.

Apart from that, she said there would be also performance to showcase the riders' skills.

At the same day, the riders would be accompanying the Yang di Pertuan Agong, Tunku Syed Sirajuddin Syed Putra Jamalullail to Likas for the launching and closing ceremony of the National Day celebration.

Then on Sept 17, Hamidah said the riders would be visiting Gaya Street Sunday Fair before proceeding to Masilau in Ranau.

"They will be making a stopover at Ranau town and they are expected to perform some charity activity," she said.

Meanwhile, Iskandar said Tourism Malaysia welcomed the programme especially since it would help promote Sabah.

"As we all know each of the participating countries has their own big motor clubs and this certainly augurs well for our tourism market because they are always on the move," he said.

The response from neighbouring countries also, he said has been overwhelming which could inevitably promote Visit Malaysia Year 2007 and at the same time help promote Sabah as a holiday destination.

Source: Daily Express

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