Azhar Mansor
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Dato' Azhar Mansor is the first[citation needed] Malaysian solo sailor. He sailed around the world in 104 days during 1999 using the sailing ship called Jalur Gemilang.
It is widely believed that he renounced Islam, and that he is now a Christian living in Australia. This rumour is false, however, as he is still in charge of the Telaga Harbour marina in Langkawi, Malaysia. Azhar has repeatedly denied all rumors in nearly every local paper as of 10 November, 2006, and has been confirmed by the Menteri Besar of Perlis as a Muslim (see #Religious rumour controversy).
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[edit] Religious rumour controversy
It has been said that Azhar was forced to make this statement after receiving threats and intimidation by those who held power in the ruling Malay-muslim political party, UMNO. A common rumour is that he had a vision of Jesus Christ and that the Holy Spirit had saved his life during his round-the-world voyage. Other rumours have involved him being presented to heaven as the Son of God, cast as the incarnate of the Dalai Lama, and also a modern-day human version of the Hindu god Shiva. The rumours above have been found to be false and have been circulating via word-of-mouth despite official denials from Azhar himself.
[edit] Successes
Despite his personal life, Dato' Azhar has managed to set a new world record via an Eastabout route, attempted by no-one and has been verified by the WSSRC (World Speed Sailing Record Council) as an official record. It is also interesting to note that Azhar is one of the few people in the world to circumnavigate the globe singlehanded non-stop, and is the only person from an Asian nation apart from Japan to do so. It is also interesting to note that less than 150 people have managed to manage his feat, earning him the maritime world's respect as a hero and putting Malaysia on the marine map.
Azhar is currently based in Langkawi managing Telaga Harbour Park, one of Malaysia's finest marinas.
