IN just 14 years, Penang Hikers, a local hiking group, has gained immense popularity, attracting hundreds of active hikers, and thousands of members on their Facebook page.
Its founder Sim Thean Sang, affectionately known as ‘Jungle Sim’, said the group was started in 2008 with only 50 members, who were all regular friends with a shared love for hiking.
With 20 years of hiking experience, Sim is passionate about exploring jungles and is highly fond of Penang’s beautiful nature. Thus, it is no surprise that his moniker is ‘Jungle Sim.’
“Before setting up the Penang Hikers, I was part of a hiking group called the 46 Hikers, which was named after Station 46, a popular hiking trail on Penang Hill.
“We used to hike every Sunday, and the response became overwhelming. We decided to bring a new perspective and add more meaning to this wonderful activity of hiking.
“Our common hiking trail was from the Penang Botanic Gardens heading up to Penang Hill.
“Being an ardent hiker myself, I thought it would be good to share and create awareness about the benefits of hiking among the public while emphasising the importance of keeping the environment clean.
“Our rule of thumb is that whichever trail we hike, the leader must be familiar with it and have a personal liking for the trail.
“And I will often be the sweeper, a term in hiking that means being the last man in the group, allowing the rest of the individuals to move ahead in line,” Sim told Buletin Mutiara during an exclusive interview at Jen Hotel in George Town on July 3.
Meanwhile, Penang Hikers adviser Mohammad Rafiq Michael Abdullah, said the group intends to go international and broaden its mission of collaborating with hiking groups from other states for future activities.
“Just a couple of months ago, we got our application approved by the Registrar of Societies (ROS) and are known as the Penang Hikers.
It was previously known as the Penang Hikers Group.
“Penang is blessed with beautiful infrastructure and natural hiking venues, balanced with amazing seasons that complement hiking.
“For example, the durian season alone is enough to drive more people to the state, knowingly or unknowingly, adding a tourist attraction element to our activities.
“Our bigger vision is to further enhance hiking activity among the people, especially people with disabilities.
“It is important to inculcate inclusivity since this is a popular sporting activity here in Penang, and we want to ensure it is reached across all the communities in the state,” Rafiq said.
On June 30, Penang Hikers hosted the Perpaduan Charity Hike at the Penang Botanic Gardens, which saw the participation of 1,953 individuals, and 151 of them were hearing-impaired people.
The event was attended and officiated by several state representatives, including state Youth, Sports and Health Committee chairman Daniel Gooi Zi Sen and Bukit Bendera MP Syerleena Abdul Rashid.
Sim also mentioned that the group intends to appeal to the state Education Department to include hiking as a part of curricular activities in schools, enabling students to gain merit points to create an attractive segment on their certificate when they leave school later.
“Next year, we hope to appeal as early as January to allow some time for the relevant authorities to approve the application.
“Once approved, we hope to target at least 15 schools and over 1,000 students to regularly participate in future hiking activities.
“We want to leave an impression on them about the jungles in Penang, and most importantly, to teach them to love and care for the environment,” Sim added.
Sim and Rafiq thanked Gooi and the Penang State Sports Council (MSNPP) for their unwavering support of programmes organised by Penang Hikers.
Story by Kevin Vimal
Pix by Law Suun Ting