Witnessing the Independence Day celebrations in Kuala Lumpur after cycling for 11 days in 1960 was an experience that has been forever etched in the memory of septuagenarian cyclist Wan Hashim Wan Mahmood, or better known as Pak Wan.

Pak Wan (above), who was only 14 years old at the time, saw prime minister Tunku Abdul Rahman chanting the sacred word “Merdeka". That has since become a source of motivation for him to reenact the experience by cycling to Merdeka Stadium, but he will be doing it alone this time around...