What happens when some friends who share the passion for nature and for 4x4 decide to get "serious ?" They form a club to spread their love for the forests and their off-road machines to others. In 1998, the club, simply called Johor 4WD Club, was registered with Malaysia's Ministry of Youth and Sport. The club still is the only club to have this official recognition by the ministry. In other words, what the club says counts when it comes to enjoying 4x4 in the country.

One of the objective of the Johor 4WD Club was to promote the tourism industry, both in terms of international and local tourism. Also to make 4 wheel driving a more professional and organised sport.

Afterall, with so much natural beauty that Malaysia is blessed with, 4x4s are the ideal mode of transport to enjoy them. The club not only gives people the opportunity to enjoy nature but also to better exploit their vehicles as well, as its members are only too keen to agree. Off roading with the club is a unique experience. And all this with a heart to best preserve nature, as Mr Lee put it, "4x4 is a healthy sport for people to enjoy nature and adventures !"

The club has extensive experience in organizing events of various scales, ranging from more straightforward "hard core" ones to more leisure-style jamboree-like events which are gaining much popularity even amongst the less "serious" off-roader. These events, with duration of anything from 2-4 days are designed primarily for the club's members, but friends and visitors are more than welcome to taste the sport for themselves. In fact that is a main avenue for new recruits to the club as friends and first-timers, who often participate as co-drivers get so enticed by the sport that they often end up with 4x4s themselves and join the club ! Now, the club has numerous Land Rovers Land Cruisers, Pajeros, Jeep Wranglers and a few of the smaller off-roaders whose owners include people from all walks of life, including civil servants - all bearing testimony of the increasing popularity of the sport in the country.

EVENTS

Events are hard work for the committee members of the club. An event would require the reconnaissance team to prepare at least 3 weeks ahead. And this is not even inclusive of the extensive liason work that has to be put in to gather sponsors to further liven up the event.

Johor 4WD Club has a very good reputation among manufacturers to be an effective vehicle to promote their brands. Loyal supporters to the club's events include Silverstone and Castrol who have been with the club since its inception. On late, Dunlop has also began to show its support, being the main sponsor for major events. The country's Ministry of Youth and Sport has also chipped in its support and has scheduled to sponsor the club's events for the coming year (2001).

The effects of such strong sponsorships only serve to enhance the club and its members further as they get to have increasingly extensive events and not putting their club coffers through too much stress. At least not as much stress as their beloved 4x4s go through in some of these events, all to preserve nature.

   
With the intention to enjoy and preserve nature as much as possible, the club operates by a strict code of conduct when having fun in the arms of nature. The overarching mantra is: Minimal Destruction. This means that when faced with a river, for example, members will not chop down trees to build bridges for their own convenience. They would always prefer to do river-crossing in their vehicles than to destroy precious forestry.

The aborigines (Orang Asli) that live in some of the places where the club use for its events are also appreciated. Participants are always reminded to prepare simple tokens of appreciation, like medicine or used clothings, to thank the aborigines for accomodating them. This has been religiously practiced since the beginning, such that the club is often more than welcome to enter their area. Where authorizations are required, the club also takes measures to settle necessary administrations, so as not to tarnish the image of off-roaders as responsible members of the society.

Another perogrative of the club is safety. This applies for all sorts of events that the club organizes, regardless of difficulty of the event, be they "hard-core" or "mild". Safety requirements are issued and reiterated to participants for each event, before preceeding. Where special prerequisites are necessary for particular events, the organizers ensure that only those with them are allowed to carry on. This is to prevent participants from taking unneccessary risks.

So what's next from 2000 for the Johor 4WD Club?

The club has been raising its profile in National events, like the recent Gombak Challenge 2000, where its team won 3rd and 5th place among a very competitive crowd. And then there are its numerous other competition like the International Transpen (4th) and the Rainforest Challenge. In the years to come, it is the club's vision to elevate the club to the next plain, organizing events worthy of international standards, with foreign competitors and also to send teams for national competitions in places like Sabah and Thailand. It is the vision of the club to generate increased interest in nature and 4x4s.

JOHOR 4WD CLUB
No 1-01, Jalan Ros Merah 2/16,
Taman Johor Jaya,
81100 Johor Bahru, Malaysia.
Club President Tel : 016-7022-111
Email : johor4WD@tm.net.my

Jeepnation would like to thank Johor 4WD Club and especially its president, Mr Lee Kok Heng, for kindly obliging for this interview.