VERONICA Pang was not part of the winning team for The New Paper's SUVival Challenge 2008.

She was no help in solving the puzzles or in navigating the off-road tracks in Malaysia.

She probably had no clue as to what was going on, too.

But that didn't stop her from becoming the star of the event last weekend.

Just five months old, she quietly established herself as the centre of attention during the trip with her pixie face and trademark head of standing hair.

She also proved to be quite the charmer, having never once fussed or cried during the entire journey to Bukit Tinggi, Pahang.

So many people wanted to take pictures with her that the event manager, Mr Lionel Chin, jokingly threatened to charge them $5 for each picture taken.

In the end, Baby Veronica (right, with her parents) received a $100 special prize for being the youngest participant on the trip.

Last year, the baby girl was also "present" at the event. Her mother, executive assistant Jessica Pang, was three-months pregnant with her when she took part with husband Eugene and son John.

Allaying the fears of parents who worry that the SUVival Challenge is not for young babies, Mrs Pang, who is in her 30s, assured that there is "no big inconvenience".

"So far, the activities had been very safe. Even for the off-road driving that we did, Veronica seemed to enjoy the bumps and shakes because she kept giggling.

"The most inconvenient part had to do with breastfeeding because we had to bring along equipment to keep the milk chilled and to keep the bottles sanitised.

"Other than that, I would say it's in the attitude. The parents must have a positive attitude towards the trip, and the most important thing is not to compete but to enjoy each other's company."

And enjoy they did, even though the competition this year was a lot tougher than previous ones.

As a record 110 Singapore SUVs tried to climb mountains and ford streams in Malaysia during the SUVival Challenge, there was a lot of rushing and panicking, especially when the clues got tough.

In the end, a pair of women, MsTania Chew and Ms Imelda Kwan, walked away with $3,000 cash and $500 worth of petrol vouchers for winning the challenge.

Champion Motors' general manager Victor Tan, and The New Paper's executive editor Ken Jalleh Jr, flagged off the event at 7am on 26 Apr at Raffles Marina to the din of cars honking and enthusiastic shouts of "good luck".

Champion Motors is the distributor for Suzuki vehicles, the presenter of SUVival Challenge 2008.

STUCK IN CUSTOMS

Almost immediately, the SUVs got stuck in the snaking line of vehicles waiting to clear customs. Some cars waited more than an hour before they made it to the other side. But once that happened, it was go, go, go.

SUVivors had to depend on directional tulips (a kind of simplified map diagram) to get to locations such as Nilai during the hunt for clues to solve puzzles and earn points.

Then, it was on to Sepang, home of the Malaysian Formula One race circuit.

For one of the challenges, which was held off-road, drivers had to drive in a straight line, have the front-seat passenger touch a marker along the way, then put a plastic cup on another marker before coming to a stop in the shortest time possible.

Many couldn't get their cars close enough to the markers for their passengers to perform the tasks, while others drove too fast and overshot the markers. All these mistakes meant point deductions.

After a seafood lunch at Subang, contestants then had to figure out clues that would lead them to the outskirts of Kuala Lumpur.

NOT JUST DRIVING SKILLS

One pitstop was the Batu Caves where they had to perform mental sums while counting steps as they climbed them.

Tourists and locals at the caves took pictures of the contestants - dressed in their bright orange SUVival Challenge T-shirts - as they counted with their fingers and wrote in the air, frowning in concentration or confusion.

Another stop required the contestants to fly kites. Some admitted that they had never flown kites before. The results were hilarious.

Adults and children stumbled and squealed, as they dragged their uncooperative kites behind them.

Perspiring, drivers then hopped back to their vehicles to drive towards Bentong.

This would be the final stop of the day: the Colmar Tropicale resort on Berjaya Hills, close to Genting Highlands.

During dinner at the resort's ballroom, many were tired from the day's activities. But for a pair of siblings and their spouses, the night had just begun.

Musician Isa Bidin, 55, was there with his wife Azizah. His sister Rose was there with her husband Yusuf Abdul Rahim, 46.

LIFE OF THE PARTY

The riotous foursome sang and danced with the live band, and their constant chatter and laughter infected those around them.

Mr Isa said: "When it comes to this kind of event, just enjoy and make friends. We took part last year. Some of us have been keeping in touch, and during Hari Raya, we even visited each other."

Mr Yusuf, who took pains to dress up according to the dinner's French theme, let us on his secret with a giggle.

"All the things I'm wearing are all borrowed. My wife dressed me up, I just followed her commands."

The foursome, who won a consolation prize for best-dressed car last year, said it didn't matter if they won anything this year.

Mr Yusuf said: "We tried our best, and we had a good time. Winning is not important, it's the process. And making friends."

The best-dressed car contest this year was also French-themed. The winning car belonged to Ms Delaine Tia, who combined efforts with another car to create a scene of a SUVival Challenge road trip from Singapore to France.

After a good night's rest, the convoy made its way to the Bukit Tinggi waterfall the next morning. While some enjoyed the cool waters, others were raring to go on some serious off-road driving.

A Suzuki Grand Vitara driven by an off-road expert took 10 lucky teams on a joyride up and down a steep slope, while others attempted to drive across logs placed over a ditch and a stream that was thigh-deep.

Throughout the afternoon, sounds of revving engines and instructors calling out commands filled the air. The sight of more than 100 SUVs in one location was a marvel to behold.

After more than 1,000km clocked by 110 odometers, The New Paper's annual road trip was over.

For Baby Veronica, she would probably be able to talk when SUVival Challenge 2009 rolls around.

This article was first published in The New Paper on May 4, 2008.