MALAYSIA: The idea of cycling across Malaysia is a once-in-a-lifetime adventure that requires months of planning, training, and—most importantly—time off work. But for Mushamir Mustafa, a 33-year-old marketing communications manager from Kuala Lumpur, time was a luxury he didn’t have. Instead, he spent the last eight years completing his cycling journey across Malaysia and Singapore while holding down a full-time job.
Battling storms, floods, and stolen shoes
Mushamir’s journey began in 2016 after a cycling trip in Cambodia that deepened his love for long-distance biking. Inspired, he set himself a challenge: to cycle solo across Malaysia and Singapore, taking the scenic kampung roads and coastal routes often overlooked by travellers.
His first official ride kicked off in 2017, with Singapore as his initial destination. But the challenges started right from the start. On his first night in Port Dickson, a violent storm nearly blew his tent away. “Soaked to the bone, I was rescued by a kind cleaner who let me sleep in a surau. That first night alone nearly convinced me to quit,” he recalled in FMT.
Despite the rough start, he pressed on, eventually reaching Singapore, where he camped for three days at East Coast Park before returning to work in KL. However, his cycling plans soon stalled due to work commitments, the pandemic, and a personal tragedy—the passing of his father.
In 2023, after a long hiatus, he finally resumed his journey. From Singapore, he cycled through Chukai to Kuala Terengganu in his longest single ride. Along the way, he endured floods, monsoon rains, and theft.
“At one point, my shoes got stolen, and I had to cycle almost 40 kilometres in slippers before reaching the next town,” he shared. Many nights were spent camping in his tent or seeking shelter elsewhere.
One of his toughest challenges was cycling through the Titiwangsa mountain range while battling fever, flu, and body aches. But Mushamir found ways to stay motivated. At first, he kept himself company by talking to a small teddy bear strapped to his bike. Later, he upgraded to a Bluetooth speaker, playing music to keep his spirits high.
An unconventional approach to long-distance cycling
Unlike most long-distance cyclists who complete their journeys in one stretch, Mushamir had to balance his passion with work responsibilities. He would cycle as far as his leave days allowed, then take a bus back to Kuala Lumpur, only to return later to the same point and resume pedalling. This stop-and-start approach was unconventional, but it also made the journey possible.
“I’ve always loved cycling, but I wanted to push my limits—see how far I could go, how much I could endure, while experiencing Malaysia and Singapore in a way most people never do,” he said, as quoted by Free Malaysia Today (FMT) Lifestyle.
Reaching the finish line
After years of stop-and-start progress, Mushamir completed his cycling mission on February 23, 2024, riding over 100 kilometres from Tanjung Karang, Selangor, to Ampang.
“When the Ampang cityscape finally appeared, I let out a ragged laugh that turned into sweaty tears of joy. I reached for my phone and snapped a picture of the skyline—evidence that I’d truly come full circle. I arrived in Ampang, exhausted but more alive than I’d felt in years,” he told FMT.
In total, he spent 33 days on the road, covering a distance equivalent to cycling from KL to Bangkok and back.
What’s next? From Southeast Asia to the world
Having conquered Malaysia and Singapore, Mushamir is already looking ahead. His next challenge? Cycling across Borneo, covering Sabah and Sarawak.
Beyond that, he dreams of biking from Bangkok to Siem Reap, then on to Laos and Vietnam. But his ultimate goal is even more ambitious—to cycle from the United Kingdom all the way back to Malaysia.
How he’ll balance that with work remains to be seen. But if his eight-year cycling mission has taught him anything, it’s that anything is possible, even if it takes longer than planned.
Lessons from the road: Perseverance and adventure
Mushamir’s journey was more than a test of physical endurance; it gave him a deeper appreciation for Malaysia’s landscapes, cultures, and hidden stories.
“Despite Malaysia seeming small on a map, the country expands in unexpected ways when I’m pedalling from one corner to the next. Every kampung, every coastline, and every mountain pass contains an entire world of stories, cultures, and experiences,” he told FMT.
His unconventional approach also proved that progress doesn’t have to be linear. “I pay bills like everyone else, which means the ‘purist’ approach to cycling, where you take weeks or months off in one go, might never be feasible for me,” he reflected.
But the journey taught him something even greater—that progress doesn’t have to be continuous or neat.
“It can be messy, spanning years, with half-finished routes resumed whenever life allows. The key is to never lose sight of your goal,” he concluded.
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Featured image by Freepik (for illustration purposes only)