Ahmad Maslan Said Cycle To Work, Then He Said He Didn’t Mean It Like That

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A proposal by a deputy minister to cycle to work as one way to cope with rising fuel prices has sparked ridicule online, prompting a clarification that may have done more to extend the conversation than end it.

Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Maslan, Deputy Minister of Works and MP for Pontian, put forward seven suggestions last week to help Malaysians manage the impact of fuel price increases linked to geopolitical tensions in the Middle East.

One of them was cycling.

Specifically, he described it as “a healthy method for short distances” — a framing he would later have to defend publicly.

The seven-point list was broad in scope, including accelerating the adoption of electric vehicles, expanding biodiesel production from palm oil, and encouraging carpooling and public transport use.

Cycling to work for short-distance commuters was among them.

The suggestion was picked up by local media and quickly circulated online, where it drew swift and widespread mockery — with many reading it as a minister telling Malaysians to simply pedal their way through a cost-of-living problem.

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“Why Are You Laughing?”

The UMNO Supreme Council member responded via social media, visibly amused.

“Kenapa ketawa?” — Why are you laughing? — he wrote, before clarifying that he had never suggested anyone cycle from Pontian to Johor Bahru, or from Putrajaya to Kuala Lumpur.

He meant cycling within the town, short distances, and within Pontian and Putrajaya, for example.

He also noted that seven suggestions had been made in total, and that only the cycling one had attracted comment.

In a separate Facebook post, he elaborated further.

Those who cycle to work, he said, could dress in casual or sportswear for the ride — and if they arrived sweaty, they could shower at the office before changing into work attire.

“Ikut logik akal,” he added; use common sense.

Why It Kept Going

The shower suggestion landed poorly for much of the same reason the original proposal did — it assumed access to workplace facilities that most Malaysian offices, particularly for blue-collar workers, retail staff, and teachers, simply do not have.

Ahmad also pointed to developed nations as precedent, though those countries typically have dedicated cycling infrastructure, temperate climates, and urban planning built around the habit — none of which describes Putrajaya, a federal administrative centre designed around car travel with wide roads, limited shade, and daily temperatures regularly exceeding 33°C.

What Ahmad did not say is worth noting: he never told Malaysians to abandon their cars, nor did he claim cycling alone would solve the fuel price problem.

The cycling suggestion was one item on a seven-point list that also included structural measures — yet it was the only one that travelled.

This is not the first time Ahmad Maslan has found himself at the centre of a cost-of-living controversy.

In 2015, when he was Deputy Finance Minister, Ahmad suggested Malaysians cook their own fried rice at home as a way to cope with the newly introduced Goods and Services Tax (GST).

The remark drew widespread ridicule, but rather than walk it back, he continued sharing recipes on social media — including petai fried rice — a response that cemented what became known online as the Debat Nasi Goreng, or the Fried Rice Debate.

@ybahmadmaslan ♬ original sound – DS Dr Ahmad Maslan

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Ahmad Maslan Said Cycle To Work, Then He Said He Didn’t Mean It Like That
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