After several months of pilot resumption testing, the highly popular OCBC KL Car-Free Morning resumes in earnest this Sunday, 17 July 2022 with long-time title sponsor OCBC Bank (Malaysia) Berhad (OCBC Bank) returning to the role it has played since the start of the event seven years ago.

To add to the celebratory note, the highly anticipated platform in the heart of Kuala Lumpur city centre will now no longer be held twice monthly but weekly. This means every Sunday is now an OCBC KL Car-Free Morning Sunday.

The event will continue to be conducted under certain standard operating procedures (SOPs) but without limit to the number of participants. It will continue to feature the cherished 7-kilometre stretch of closed road for the public to walk, run, skate or cycle along for two hours from 7am to 9am on the first and third Sundays. The remaining Sundays will feature a slightly shorter 5km route for the time being.

OCBC Bank has donated 100 brand new bicycles valued at RM40,000 for cyclists to use on a complimentary basis.

Speaking at a press conference to announce the formal resumption, Mayor of Kuala Lumpur Datuk Seri Haji Mahadi bin Che Ngah said the iconic event is part of KL City Hall’s relentless drive to protect the environment, promote a healthier Malaysia and drive tourism.

“I am delighted to officially announce that OCBC KL Car-Free Morning can now be a weekly item on the agenda of our city’s health enthusiasts. In line with this, we welcome back OCBC Bank as the returning title sponsor. OCBC Bank has had a long association with both the car-free morning and cycling and has been well known since 2011 for popular events such as OCBC Cycle Malaysia and subsequently OCBC Cycle Kuala Lumpur. It is good to be in partnership with a returning corporate partner that is committed to the cause and has been with us since 2015,” he said.

Datuk Naim Bin Mohamad - Implementation Chairman KLCFM Multigreen Events Sdn Bhd; Syed Abdull Aziz Syed Kechik – CEO, OCBC Al-Amin Bank Berhad; YBhg. Datuk Hj. Anwar Bin Mohd. Zain - Executive Chairman (Socio-Economic Development), DBKL; YBhg. Datuk Seri Hj Mahadi Bin Che Ngah - Honourable Mayor Of Kuala Lumpur; YBhg. Datuk Tpr Sulaiman Bin Mohamed - Executive Chairman (Planning), DBKL; Dato' Ong Eng Bin - CEO, OCBC Bank (Malaysia) Berhad

Datuk Seri Mahadi added that OCBC Bank’s commitment to the long-term success of the event was evident also through the provision of the fresh set of 100 bicycles on top of the 140 bicycles they had contributed a few years ago but which are deemed no longer roadworthy due to wear and tear.

Commenting on the decision to resume its title sponsorship, OCBC Bank Chief Executive Officer Dato’ Ong Eng Bin said the Bank had been awaiting the opportunity to partner again with KL City Hall in OCBC KL Car-Free Morning to jointly promote the protection of the environment and a healthy lifestyle.

“We are looking forward to enabling more sustainability-linked efforts through OCBC KL Car-Free Morning which, moving forward, will strive to create further health and environment related opportunities for everyone to participate in. We are hoping to add recycling and go-green initiatives which all participants can contribute to as well.

“We are pleased to see from the pilot runs that cycling – a mainstay of OCBC Bank – remains the most popular activity at OCBC KL Car-Free Morning, accounting for about half of what people come to the event to do. We encourage participants to take full advantage of the fresh set of 100 bicycles that we are availing for them to use on a complimentary basis during the event. I would like to put on record our thanks to the honourable Mayor of Kuala Lumpur for inviting us to continue in a journey that we began with KL City Hall some seven years ago,” he said.

Dato’ Ong added that the Bank will work with the organisers to put together more activities as the event progresses so that those who participate will have an even more enjoyable experience each time.

Chairman of the OCBC KL Car-Free Morning Implementation Committee Datuk Naim Mohamad said OCBC KL Car Free Morning typically attracted an average of about four thousand people from all walks of life each time it was held before the pandemic, and that they are looking to increase the numbers as the event progresses.

“We look forward to seeing people of all walks of life at Dataran DBKL this Sunday, and every Sunday following it,” he added.

For further information about OCBC KL Car-Free Morning, the public may visit www.klcarfreemorning.my