About a month ago, while chatting to some of the old retirees and some friends at the A' Famosa Fort area, (one of my favourites hangout place) suddenly Robert (a friend who sells souvenir key chain) asked if I knew about a group of trishaw riders who were once went around the whole of Malaysia many years ago on a nationwide project. NO! That was something new to me. They all knew about my mission of going to Penang by trishaw.
 
Unfortunately, Robert can't tell me much about it and when I asked around among the trishaw riders, I got negative results too. So, I went home and Google search on these story but unfortunately, I found no news at all. What Robert said was interesting and fascinating to me. I really want to meet this unsung heroes. I want to learn more from them and to seek for their advice and their priceless experience. 
 
Unsatisfied, whenever I finished my training early, I went to do my own investigation and started asking those older trishaw riders about those journey and then about 2 weeks ago Bingo, I strike the jackpot. An old trishaw rider told me to go to Stadthuys and looked for one bald head trishaw rider. I won't missed him 'cause he was the only bald head trishaw rider in town.
 
I went twice but couldn't find this bald head trishaw man. But, I knew I've found my man because the other trishaw men told me he has gone with some guests when I went looking for him. He didn't have a contact number so I can only go round looking for him and try my luck. Third time lucky as what people said, I found him. He told me his name was Syaitan meaning 'Devil' in English. Wow, very scary name! Ha! Ha!
 
He shared with me his experience and what a hell of a great time they had. 6 of them went around Malaysia covered the distance of 1,600 km in 42 days. When I told Mr Tan Gian Siang (Syaitan's real name which I found out later) of my mission, he asked if it's a state government sponsored project. A self sponsored charity event I told him and he was really shocked. No police escort? NO, I replied. He told me to be extra careful on the road, take it easy and enjoy the ride. He would have joined me if it’s a sponsored trip but unfortunately, it’s not. Mr Tan then said out of the 6 raiders, only 2 of them that still alive (another Indian guy who has left Malacca town and himself, of course). I told Mr Tan that I found it sad because I couldn't find any information about their journey around the country by trishaws on the internet and I don’t understand why many people were not aware of such great event taken placed before. 
 
They are our 'Unsung Heroes', Malaysian Forgotten Heroes. I promised Mr Tan that I will write about them in my blog, a special dedication for them, something which I can do on my part at least and so here I am sharing and reporting something that many of us can't even remember (or forgotten) or not aware of this history that has actually taken place in our own country. I can be excused OK! Eerm! Eerm! ... because I was out of the country at that time for some time .
 
Unfortunately, Mr Tan has lose all the newspaper coverage / cuttings but he told me to look for “Buntal” (meaning puffer fish in English) also a trishaw rider, the son of their leader, the late Encik Abdul Samad Tahir. He might still has a copy of newspaper cuttings etc. Then again, I went round but this time looking for this Buntal fellow, a big size person and was told that his trishaw was decorated with many soft toys, and I won't miss him or his trishaw. Unfortunately, I can't find either for few days.
 
Then some time last week while doing my training on my bicycle around the historical sites, I finally saw someone who looked exactly like what Mr Tan has described  to me and when we passed each other I called out “Buntal” and he said he has been expecting me for few days now. We just didn’t get the chance to see each other and I was busy too, with training. Mr Tan has told him about me. He said his name is Abdul Rahman Saad aka Cowboy. Buntal? Where and how did Mr Tan got me this name? But looked like one though. He! He!. We did joked about it. We exchanged our contact numbers and so the history begins .........
 
We have to turn back the clock and go back 20 years ago. On the 10th June 1989, a group of 6 trishaw riders / friends came out with the idea of going around the Peninsular Malaysia by trishaws and named their expedition, “Becathon”. They were Encik Samad Tahir (51 at that time) leader of the pack, Encik Mohamad Emby (61), Encik Aziz Shamsuddin (29), Mr Tan Gian Siang (40), Encik Hashim Mat (42) and Mr R. Kenasan Porumale (36).
 
Together with government support, they came out with a great expedition plan: To cover the whole Peninsular Malaysia started from the 10th June and be back on the 22nd July 1989, right on time to celebrate the officiate of Malacca Carnival and declaration of Malacca Historical City status by our Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Dr Mahathir Mohamad.
 
These Becathon unsung heroes have covered 30 cities like Seremban, Kuala Lumpur, Ipoh, Penang, Kuala Terengganu, Pekan, Johor Baharu and Batu Bahat to name but a few. They covered a total distance of 1,600 km in 42 days. In Malaysia modern history they were the first group of people that have cycled the whole of Peninsular Malaysia by trishaws. They not only managed to come back on time but they did it in style. They were escorted by at least a police outrider whenever they arrived at their respectively stop-overs and were warmly received and greeted by many well wishers and politicians, too. These “pedal power” team pedaling an average of 60km a day. 
 
It was a dream came true to the six of them. They were not just an ordinary trishaw riders on the street of Historical Malacca but they are the unsung heroes, indeed. Many thought that it was not possible for them to do it but, they just proved them all wrong.
 
To Mr Tan, Mr Abdul Rahman Saad and ALL BECATHON families, this blog is dedicated specially to ALL of YOU. BECATHON will always be our Unsung Heroes.
 
Well, I did took good care of Mr Abdul Saad's newspaper cutting files and on top of that I managed to make copies and laminated new set of newspaper cuttings on Becathon for both Mr Tan and Mr Abdul Rahman Saad. By the way, I am going to make a special invitation and arrangement for both gentlemen to join us in the trishaw man charity event. Though we can’t compare this charity event at all with Becathon but it would be an honored if they can be part of this event in anyway possible.

Tentatively, the following are my friends and volunteers who are going to help me with the trishaw ride (or sun-chaser we called ourselves): Ah Chen, Kevin Charley from London, Ivan, Wai Onn, Kheng Sai, Jason Tan, Duncan, Peter Hee, Tan Ai Tong, Wong Ling Gau, Meng Chwen and I.
 
I will update you with the final information of when and how many days each and everyone of them will be riding the trishaw with me in the next 1-2 weeks time. PEACE!