Scenic trails guaranteed to give even the most hardcore of bikers the adrenaline-pumping excitement they crave are now being promoted by the Tourism Ministry under its 5-Mountain Motorcycle Tour. Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, who launched the tour package at the Putra World Trade Centre yesterday, also unveiled the 1Malaysia Chopper, which was designed and presented by Paul Teutul Sr., the star of the popular Discovery Channel show American Chopper and founder of Orange County Choppers (OCC). The motorcycle design features popular Malaysian iconic landmarks including the national flag, the Petronas Twin Towers, the hibiscus and islands.
Najib said the 5-Mountain Motorcycle Tour package is a good initiative to promote Malaysia as the best motorcycle touring destination in the region. “Malaysia is blessed with natural beauty and I am confident that the package will be a hit with foreign bikers due to our scenic routes and warm weather,” he said. Najib also thanked Discovery Channel for its features on Malaysia and expressed hope, as a “fairly regular viewer” of the channel, that he would get to see more familiar scenes in the show in the future, including the 1Malaysia Chopper. Teutul, who presented Najib with a specially-made, signed biker’s jacket, said he was delighted to have a pleasant experience here. “I’ve been around the world and this country offers far more than all the places I’ve been in. I’ve been here for only three or four days but so much is going on, it’s unbelievable!” he said.
The 1Malaysia Chopper is the result of a smart partnership between the Tourism Ministry and OCC which will also see Malaysia being featured in several episodes of the popular show to worldwide audiences in April and May this year. Five mountains in the country were chosen for the tour, namely Genting Highlands, Fraser’s Hill, Cameron Highlands, Gunung Jerai and the Titiwangsa Range. Present at the launch were Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ng Yen Yen and Defence Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.