Mr. "World Bicycle Day" visits Kuala Lumpur
- Gregers Reimann
- Jul 2
- 3 min read
On 15 June 2025, we had the privilege to take the founder of "World Bicycle Day", Dr. Leszek Jan Sibilski, for a bicycle ride in Kuala Lumpur. It was an inspirational visit, as Dr. Sibilski is a very strong advocate for promoting bicycling. In fact, his sole purpose of visiting Malaysia was to promote bicycling and meet up with key stakeholders, including the Mayor of Kuala Lumpur, to kick-start bicycle infrastructure initiatives and engagement.
His advice to the bicycle commuting community, which Gregers (IEN) is part of, is to start the engagement with the local municipality on bicycle initiatives that are 'quick easy wins', aka:
Easy and cheap to implement
Have high visibility to the public
Are acceptable to the wide public
For example, Dr. Sibilsky recommended a simple measure such as putting up signboards showing that the road is to be shared with cyclists. And bicycle markings on the shared roads. He also stressed the importance of regular engagement sessions with the local city council to get things moving, and in his meetings with Kuala Lumpur Mayor, Dato' Seri Maimunah Mohd Sharif, he would make sure to get those engagement sessions started. As he said "Sometimes it takes an outsider!" [to get things moving].
Dr. Sibilski argues that the bicycle is a great equaliser, as almost everybody can learn how to ride a bicycle and can afford to buy a bicycle. Moreover, no license is required to ride a bicycle. Another benefit: Bicycles gives the user exercise and helps to reduce congestion and pollution in our cities.
"Be proud cyclists!" was one of the pieces of advice given by Dr. Sibilski, as he had noticed that the cyclists in Malaysia behave subserviently to motorists. He strongly believes that everyone has an equal right to the road.
UN Resolutions on Cycling
Dr. Sibilski is behind two United Nations resolutions on bicycling, namely:
Under item 4 in the latter, it mentions that all relevant stakeholders should advance the use of the bicycle to strengthen "education, including physical education, for children and young people, promoting health, preventing disease, enabling safer road environments, encouraging healthy lifestyles and ensuring that no one will be left behind".
On the environmental side, the resolution recognises that "bicycling can contribute to reducing greenhouse gas emissions" and enhances community resiliency during disasters.
Special Award 2025
Dr. Sibilski had also arranged for an award ceremony to recognise the "unsung heroes of cycling". As such, the Malaysian recipient of the 2025 Special Award World Bicycle Day of the United Nations was Jeffrey Lim, founder of the KL Bicycle Map project and pioneering advocate of bicycling in Malaysia. The award ceremony was held at the Polish embassy in attendance of members of the Malaysian bicycle commuting community and hosted by the Polish Ambassador.
The enthusiasm of Dr. Sibilski was truly inspiring and gave a good mental boost to the cycling community in Malaysia and our effort to improve the bicycle infrastructure. There's a long way to go, but to quote Dr. Sibilski "where there's a wheel, there's a way!"
Photo gallery:
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