SEET Wai Song is embarking on a solo drive from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, to Stuttgart, Germany, to raise funds for the National Cancer Society Malaysia (NCSM). The journey will cover 21 countries and span 25,000km, taking over 60 days to complete. Starting on July 3, Seet plans to finish in early September. The funds raised from this self-funded journey will be donated entirely to NCSM. Seet expects to drive about 400km per day to meet his planned duration.
Seet is driving a 1974 custom-painted Mercedes-Benz W115 sedan for his trip. He is a 65-year-old food-and-beverage entrepreneur known as Chef Song, as he runs Chef on Wheels, a catering business, with his wife Christine Chua. The drive is a dream come true for Seet, which he had planned before the Covid-19 pandemic. Visiting countries such as China and Russia requires prior visa or official travel documents, which need to be arranged months in advance.
Seet got these two teddy bears as replacement companions after losing a stuffed toy.
Most of the countries Seet has visited allow visa-free travel within 90 days, with relatively smooth border crossings. Seet mentions the challenge of driving a car designed for left-hand traffic in countries with right-hand traffic settings, and the need to be cautious while driving alongside heavy vehicles. He avoids driving at night due to poor visibility. As of the interview, Seet had already covered Thailand, Laos, China, Kazakhstan, Russia, Turkiye, and Bulgaria. His upcoming destinations include Romania, Hungary, Austria, Switzerland, and Germany.
Before this journey, Seet backpacked in Nepal, India, and Sri Lanka for about a year, and also completed a self-drive trip to Cambodia with his son Sean. He chooses to eat and live simply during his trip, getting meals at petrol stations and rest-stop areas or purchasing fresh ingredients from local markets and supermarkets. If budget accommodation is not available, Seet sleeps in his car. He prefers driving along smaller roads to learn about people and their cultures, stopping to take in interesting sights along the way.
Seet stopping to take in the sights in Shangri-La, China.
According to Seet, the journey has not presented major challenges except for communication problems in countries where English is not the main language and issues with poor sanitation at rest stops. He relies on technology, such as a good phone with data plan and GPS navigation, to make travelling easier. Seet carries a stuffed toy and Malaysian fridge magnets to give away as souvenirs and conversation starters. He plans to fly back to Kuala Lumpur while shipping his car, as the return journey alone would be too difficult.
Seet chose NCSM as the beneficiary of his fundraising efforts due to his previous work with the non-profit organization. This self-drive project is his biggest fundraising initiative so far. He proposes a donation of RM10 per kilometer covered, aiming to raise RM250,000 for NCSM. Seet also visits cancer hospitals along the way to assess their operations and raise awareness of his journey. If he falls short of his fundraising goal, Seet plans to organize a fundraising dinner to make up the remaining funds.
To follow Seet’s journey and daily encounters, visit https://tinyurl.com/3h65mmv6. To donate, visit https://tinyurl.com/2p8kse82.
Credit: The Star : Metro Feed
