THREE MEN BEGIN THEIR 6,000 KM JOURNEY TO MAKKAH

ALOR SETAR, Oct 24 (Bernama) -- Dahalan Yahaya, 71, and brothers, Zam Ahmad, 61, and Ahmad Zulkifli Ahmad, 56, have begun their journey to Makkah.

The approximately 6,000 km expedition, expected to take about six months, will traverse six countries, including Thailand, India, Pakistan, Iran, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), before arriving in Saudi Arabia.

The men began their ride from Kuala Lumpur on Oct 12 and arrived in Alor Setar on Oct 21. They continued their journey to Thailand today.

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Dahalan said he was inspired by Ahmad Mohd Isa, 36, and his wife Noradilah Mohd Sapie, 37, who had cycled to Makkah twice.

"We had been training for the past two years, during which we cycled around Malaysia...We also made sure to cycle at least 100 km daily to build stamina and strength for this journey," he said at the flag-off ceremony.

Meanwhile, Zam said it took him several months to say yes to Ahmad Zulkifli, who persuaded him to join the expedition. 

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"Today's ride will cover about 45 km to reach Danok, Thailand. After that, we will continue to Bangkok, a distance of 999 km, estimated to take between 23 and 25 days. We will spend the nights in mosques or surau, but if there are no places to stay, we will set up tents.

"We will take a break for a week in Thailand, after which we will fly to New Delhi, India, as we cannot enter Myanmar and Bangladesh by land due to the closed borders. After that, we will continue our journey in India, Pakistan, and Iran before taking a ferry to the UAE, and we expect to arrive in Saudi Arabia during the fasting month in March," he said.

He said they had made all necessary preparations involving their physical, mental, and health and documentation, adding that they had also studied the routes throughout the expedition.

"We are fortunate because there are fellow citizens who have successfully reached Makkah by bicycle before, so we will use their logbook... We will follow the same routes and will contact the Malaysian embassy in all the countries involved to obtain the necessary important information," he said.

Three other cyclists accompany them during their ride to Bangkok to show support.

Meanwhile, Ahmad Mohd Isa, who cycled to Makkah in 2016 and 2023, said he took a month to share his experiences regarding finances, nutrition, and communication with the three men.

"When I went before, I had no one to refer to, but now that I've successfully reached Makkah twice, they can continue this journey using the references I provide... I also hope that people out there will be inspired to perform Umrah and Haj at a young age, by any means possible," he added.

-- BERNAMA