KUALA LUMPUR – Muar MP Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman capped his 170km ‘Larian Kesyukuran’ (Gratitude Run) on Sunday morning, crossing the finish line at Laman Maharani at 9.15am after four gruelling days on the road.
Thousands of residents had gathered from as early as 8am to welcome him home, cheering “Hidup Muar” and “Tahniah YB” as he completed the final 17km stretch from Simpang Sungai Rambai in just over two hours, joined by local running groups including Muo Runner.
The run, which began July 16 at the Palace of Justice in Putrajaya, wound through Negeri Sembilan and Melaka before ending in Johor. It doubled as a thanksgiving gesture following Syed Saddiq’s acquittal in a high-profile court case, while raising funds for Muar’s needy.
Syed Saddiq said the four-day charity run raised RM650,959, exceeding the initial target of RM200,000.
On Facebook, he revealed donations had far exceeded the RM200,000 target — with more than 10,000 contributors giving amounts from 50 sen to RM20,000. Total cash collected topped RM600,000, alongside in-kind support worth RM60,000 from Brooks, RM5,000 from Kitsui, and RM61,400 in educational aid from Uni Enrol.
Syed Saddiq said RM157,000 had already been spent on 1,000 food bank sets and 51 iPads, while the remaining RM493,000 will be channelled fully into education programmes for Muar students.
“Education is the best way to change the fate of a nation, family and Malaysian children,” he said.
Reflecting on the run, he admitted the scale of support surprised him. Two sections had to be shortened for safety due to narrow roads and heavy lorry traffic, but crowds lining the final 10km gave him the strength to push through.
“I may be the runner, but you are the ones who brought this journey to the finish line,” he told supporters, thanking donors, police, and volunteers.
On July 13, the Federal Court acquitted Syed Saddiq of two charges of abetting criminal breach of trust, one charge of dishonest misappropriation of property, and two counts of money laundering involving Armada Bersatu funds. – July 20, 2026