PETRONAS Adventure Team
Trans-Euro Asia 2008 Expedition
9 May 2008

PETRONAS TRANS EURO ASIA MARKS A DECADE OF EXPEDITIONS FOR PETRONAS ADVENTURE TEAM

Kuala Lumpur, 9th May 2008: With nine successful expeditions under its belt, the PETRONAS Adventure Team (PAT) today unveiled its tenth overland expedition at a ceremony held in Kuala Lumpur.

Given the name PETRONAS Trans-Euro Asia 2008 Expedition, the overland adventure is expected to take 55 days covering a total distance of approximately 20,000km. Set to be flagged off from St. Petersburg on 1st July 2008, the journey will take the 52 member expedition in 18 four-wheel drive vehicles through Russia, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, China, Laos and Thailand before drawing to a close back in Kerteh, Terengganu, Malaysia.

Speaking at the event, Expedition Leader Halim Abdul Rahman notes, "As the tenth [expedition], the PETRONAS Trans Euro Asia will be mother of all expeditions. It will be more challenging, more adventurous and tougher for both man and machine, in terms of the extreme climate change as well as the variable and difficult terrains."

He went on to add that the team will attempt to reach Keliya, the least populated area in the Taklimakan desert in China. Halim adds, "This place is so remote that to date; only three convoys have attempted to reach Keliya out of which only one succeeded with just four vehicles arriving intact."

In addition to enduring the extreme and difficult conditions, the team will also continue to conduct and participate in several community outreach programmes in collaboration with PETRONAS. Plans are underway for community relations programmes in various locations along the route, including in Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan.

The team’s progress, news and updates throughout the expedition will be made available through the PETRONAS Trans Euro Asia Expedition’s official website at www.petronasadventure.com.

A part of the PETRONAS Motorsports family, the PAT has previously embarked on nine successful expeditions in countries where PETRONAS has operations in. Past expeditions include the Passage to Tibet in 1999; Indo China in 2000; Silk Road in 2001; Siberia in 2002; Africa Trek and Trans Sahara in 2003 and 2004, respectively; Trans Himalayas in 2005; Nusantara in 2006 and its most recent expedition, the South Asia Xpedition last year.

For more on the expedition, visit the PETRONAS Adventure Team's website at www.petronasadventure.com