Tyre comes off but Khairil Aslan's solo cycling mission continues

The 42-year-old Khairil Aslan,who arrived at the Kuala Perlis ferry terminal here at 11.30am from Langkawi said the incident did not affect his determination to complete the expedition.

"The tyre of my bicycle came off in Langkawi when I was travelling from Ayer Hangat towards the Al-Ittihad Mosque, I was lucky that when it happened, I had passed through the mosque gates.

"If it had happened while I was cycling down the steep slopes of the hill before the mosque, I do not know what would have happened to me. Thankfully, Allah protected me," he told reporters at the ferry terminal here today.

Also present to welcome Khairil Aslan who arrived by ferry from Langkawi was the Chairman of the State Youth and Sports Committee, Abdul Jamil Saad.

Khairil Aslan said although he was tired, he managed to complete the 70-kilometer ride around the island.

In Perlis, he will stop at the Al-Hussain Mosque, which is better known as Masjid Terapung, before continuing his journey to Sungai Petani, Kedah at 8.30am tomorrow.

He said using mosques as pit-stops was a way to get close to the local community, especially the youths, as he got to share his experiences as a climber and solo cyclist.

He added that the cycling expedition was also part of his training to build his stamina before embarking on the Peninsular Malaysia Cycling and Climbing Solo Expedition for 67 days beginning June, in conjunction with the 60th Merdeka Day celebrations of the country.