Former Olympian cyclist NA Rosli passed away this morning after being involved in a motorcycle accident he was riding on. Deepest condolence to his family. Below is an Icon story done on him on June 14, 2014 in the Malay Mail.
ICONS FROM THE PAST
ROSLI ABDUL KADIR
ROSLI ABDUL KADIR
Famed cyclist Rosli washes cars in his ageing years
By TONY MARIADASS
tmariadass@gmail.com
By TONY MARIADASS
tmariadass@gmail.com
IN the Olympic Council of Malaysia Hall of Fame and Malaysian cycling annals, he is considered a hero and icon.
But in real life, Rosli Abdul Kadir, who turns 75 on June 21 and should be spending time leisurely enjoying the fruits of his labour, is still washing cars to earn his pocket money.
The father of eight children and 23 grandchildren, was a member of the gold medal winning team on grass at Merdeka Stadium in the 1963 Asian Championship.
A double international having represented the nation in Big Walk too, Rosli having made his debut at the 1962 Asian Games in 1962 in Jakarta, retired in 1973 after many medals and honours.
In Big Walk he had competed in the 1973 Sea Games where he finished fourth besides winning numerous walking meets in the region including The Malay Mail Big Walk where he had won the junior veterans category thrice in-a-row to keep the challenge trophy.
But the accolades and honours earned as a cyclist, was not good enough to find him a decent job to bring up his family.
Rosli had to work as a driver, odd-job worker on contract and gardener, before he decided to try his hands at car washing.
It all started about 30 years ago when he managed to get CIMB in Damansara to allow him to wash their employees’ cars in their premises.
Three months ago, he moved to the CIMB Sentral office when the Group Administration and Property manager, Mohd Khairizal Mohd Khalib, allowed Rosli to continue to wash cars at their new premises.
But in real life, Rosli Abdul Kadir, who turns 75 on June 21 and should be spending time leisurely enjoying the fruits of his labour, is still washing cars to earn his pocket money.
The father of eight children and 23 grandchildren, was a member of the gold medal winning team on grass at Merdeka Stadium in the 1963 Asian Championship.
A double international having represented the nation in Big Walk too, Rosli having made his debut at the 1962 Asian Games in 1962 in Jakarta, retired in 1973 after many medals and honours.
In Big Walk he had competed in the 1973 Sea Games where he finished fourth besides winning numerous walking meets in the region including The Malay Mail Big Walk where he had won the junior veterans category thrice in-a-row to keep the challenge trophy.
But the accolades and honours earned as a cyclist, was not good enough to find him a decent job to bring up his family.
Rosli had to work as a driver, odd-job worker on contract and gardener, before he decided to try his hands at car washing.
It all started about 30 years ago when he managed to get CIMB in Damansara to allow him to wash their employees’ cars in their premises.
Three months ago, he moved to the CIMB Sentral office when the Group Administration and Property manager, Mohd Khairizal Mohd Khalib, allowed Rosli to continue to wash cars at their new premises.
Armed with motorcycle which has a specially fitted carrier to carry two pails of water he goes up and down the car park washing his regular clients’ cars three times a week.
He charges RM50 a month for monthly clients and RM 5 for random clients a wash.
“I have about 40 regular clients and together with random clients, I can earn about RM1,000 a month which is suffice for me survive,” said Rosli whose wife passed away last year and stays with his youngest one son in a low-cost rental at which he pays RM124 per month.
He charges RM50 a month for monthly clients and RM 5 for random clients a wash.
“I have about 40 regular clients and together with random clients, I can earn about RM1,000 a month which is suffice for me survive,” said Rosli whose wife passed away last year and stays with his youngest one son in a low-cost rental at which he pays RM124 per month.
“I am very grateful to Encik Khairizal for giving permission to operate in their premises. He is an ardent sports fan and took pity on me and allowed me to earn my living washing cars at the bank’s premises.
“I have been doing this for more than 30 years and I am not ashamed of it because I am earning an honest living and working hard for it,” said Rosli who was inducted into the Hall of Fame last year.
Rosli said that he does get assistance from The National Athletes Welfare Foundation (YAKEB) where his medical bills are taken care off.
“I am grateful to YAKEB too for assisting me and many other past athletes with our medication bills. We have a medical card given by YAKEB and use it to get our monthly medical supply.
“Otherwise, I do not get any form of assistance in cash or kind. Not that I am complaining, but it would have been nice to be remembered for our services rendered to the nation and in our old age to get some form of recognition in form financial assistance like pension.”
When YAKEB launched their 1Ringgit 1Malaysia campaign in 2009, they had presented Rosli RM2,000 and a bag of rice to Rosli and his family.
“I have been doing this for more than 30 years and I am not ashamed of it because I am earning an honest living and working hard for it,” said Rosli who was inducted into the Hall of Fame last year.
Rosli said that he does get assistance from The National Athletes Welfare Foundation (YAKEB) where his medical bills are taken care off.
“I am grateful to YAKEB too for assisting me and many other past athletes with our medication bills. We have a medical card given by YAKEB and use it to get our monthly medical supply.
“Otherwise, I do not get any form of assistance in cash or kind. Not that I am complaining, but it would have been nice to be remembered for our services rendered to the nation and in our old age to get some form of recognition in form financial assistance like pension.”
When YAKEB launched their 1Ringgit 1Malaysia campaign in 2009, they had presented Rosli RM2,000 and a bag of rice to Rosli and his family.
“But thank god that I can still work, and can earn some pocket money washing cars. I use the money for my daily expenses, buys some gifts for my grandchildren when I can and save some just in case there comes a day I cannot come to work.
Rosli, who hails from Bunut Payong in Kota Baru, Kelantan, said he came to the city in the 60s to attend the trials for the Asian Games cycling for three days and on a hired bicycle.
“It was the passion to represent the nation and do honours which saw him leave home and I have no regrets despite my current position. I enjoyed every minute of the eleven years.
“And to see my two sons – Nor Effandy and Noor Azahar – take up my footsteps and don national colours was a proud moment for me.
“At least they are better off, as in their era there were efforts to take of employment for athletes. Nor Effandy under former KL mayor Tan Sri Elyas Omar got a job as an enforcement officer with City Hall.”
Rosli said that sports will be benefit from officials who are truly passionate about it and have the welfare of athletes at heart.
“Elyas was truly an exemplary sport official who has done a great deal for Malaysian sports.
“But more often than not officials are there for their own benefits and athletes are often neglected.”
However, Rosli said that athletes these days have it good and should be performing much better in the world arena.
He suggested that athletes in all sports should be more exposed to overseas training methods and more importantly competed in top level competitions and regularly.
“The only way for Malaysian sports to rise is to compete against the best regularly,” said Rosli.
Rosli, who hails from Bunut Payong in Kota Baru, Kelantan, said he came to the city in the 60s to attend the trials for the Asian Games cycling for three days and on a hired bicycle.
“It was the passion to represent the nation and do honours which saw him leave home and I have no regrets despite my current position. I enjoyed every minute of the eleven years.
“And to see my two sons – Nor Effandy and Noor Azahar – take up my footsteps and don national colours was a proud moment for me.
“At least they are better off, as in their era there were efforts to take of employment for athletes. Nor Effandy under former KL mayor Tan Sri Elyas Omar got a job as an enforcement officer with City Hall.”
Rosli said that sports will be benefit from officials who are truly passionate about it and have the welfare of athletes at heart.
“Elyas was truly an exemplary sport official who has done a great deal for Malaysian sports.
“But more often than not officials are there for their own benefits and athletes are often neglected.”
However, Rosli said that athletes these days have it good and should be performing much better in the world arena.
He suggested that athletes in all sports should be more exposed to overseas training methods and more importantly competed in top level competitions and regularly.
“The only way for Malaysian sports to rise is to compete against the best regularly,” said Rosli.
ACHIEVEMENTS:
1962 – Bronze medal in team 100km Asian Games Jakarta
1963 – Represented nation at the Commonwealth Games in Australia
1963 – Gold medal in 100km team and bronze in 200km team event at the Asian Championship in Kuala Lumpur.
1964 – Olympic Games in Tokyo
1966 – Asian Games in Bangkok
1967 Silver medal in SEAP Games in Kuala Lumpur
1969 SEAP Games in Bangkok
1970 – Bronze medal at the 200km Asean Cycling Championship, Singapore
1971 – Silver medal at SEAP Games in Kuala Lumpur
1973 – Fourth in 20km Big Walk at Singapore Sea Games
1962 – Bronze medal in team 100km Asian Games Jakarta
1963 – Represented nation at the Commonwealth Games in Australia
1963 – Gold medal in 100km team and bronze in 200km team event at the Asian Championship in Kuala Lumpur.
1964 – Olympic Games in Tokyo
1966 – Asian Games in Bangkok
1967 Silver medal in SEAP Games in Kuala Lumpur
1969 SEAP Games in Bangkok
1970 – Bronze medal at the 200km Asean Cycling Championship, Singapore
1971 – Silver medal at SEAP Games in Kuala Lumpur
1973 – Fourth in 20km Big Walk at Singapore Sea Games
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