40 East Coast Public University Students, Staff Kayak 22km Flying Jalur Gemilang

KUALA NERUS, Aug 14 (Bernama) -- In a bid to boost patriotic spirit ahead of National Day on Aug 31, 40 students and staff from public universities on the east coast kayaked 22 kilometres to Pulau Bidong today, proudly carrying and flying the Jalur Gemilang.

Prof Dr Mohd Izani Mohd Zain, deputy vice-chancellor for Student Affairs and Alumni (HEPA) at Universiti Malaysia Terengganu (UMT), said the UMT Merdeka Kayak Expedition 2025 saw participants paddling from Pantai INOS UMT to Pasir Tenggara, Pulau Bidong, a journey taking six to eight hours.

“Besides UMT, participating universities include Universiti Malaysia Pahang Al-Sultan Abdullah (UMPSA) and Universiti Malaysia Kelantan (UMK). Although Pulau Bidong appears close, reaching it by kayak requires considerable time and effort,” he said.

“It requires patience and persistence. Through this expedition, we aim to convey, in conjunction with National Day, the spirit and struggle of the previous generation in securing the independence and peace we enjoy today,” he told reporters at Pantai INOS, UMT, here today.

He added that the expedition is also intended to inspire young people to value the spirit of independence and to continue striving to preserve the prosperity the country now enjoys.

He said the programme, which also seeks to raise student and community awareness of environmental sustainability, was last held several years ago in conjunction with the National Day celebrations, and there are plans to make it an annual event.

The participants, who paddled 20 kayaks, were accompanied by five escort boats from the UMT Sailing Training Centre, the UMT Health Centre, and the Malaysian Fire and Rescue Department.

In addition, he said that to ensure the readiness and safety of the participants, they had undergone basic kayaking training conducted by UMT on Tuesday and Wednesday.

One of the participants, Nur Muhammad Aqil Nazri, 22, said the programme reflected the spirit of unity among public universities in celebrating National Day.

“It is proof of our solidarity as young people in demonstrating our love for our country,” said the second-year student of the Faculty of Maritime Studies and Marine Sciences at UMT.

Third-year student of the Faculty of Entrepreneurship and Business at UMK, Nur Ileeya Mysara Kamal Bashah, 22, said that although this was her first long-distance kayaking experience, she remained enthusiastic about completing the expedition successfully.

“I hope this programme will be held again next year, and my three friends and I who are participating today would love to join again,” said the Selangor-born student.

-- BERNAMA