15 Mat Rempit suspects were remanded by police after one of them allegedly hit a man on the forehead with a helmet following an accident where the victim’s car accidently grazed one of the Rempit’s motorcycle yesterday at Jalan Sultan Abdul Jalil, Ipoh at 5am yesterday.
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Mat Rempit re-branding futile
Comment by Rohaizad A. Rahim
... early Wednesday morning, a group of young motorcyclists went on a rampage in Jalan Medang Serai, Bangsar, smashing windscreens of vehicles just because a resident shouted at them for making noise. Don't blame the resident for yelling at them - it was 5am!So, how does Putera Umno think that the image of these Mat Rempit can be redeemed? Going by the most recent incident, it is unlikely that people will lend support to those they perceive to be the scourge of society.
Azeez thinks he can, and plans to start by organising a carnival in November in an attempt to re-brand them from Mat Rempit to Mat Cemerlang. The movement also plans to organise the Mat Rempit into clubs and have their activities regulated.
It is hoped the movement will do its homework before being overwhelmed by the task they have set upon themselves.
Point number one - these Mat Rempit, or illegal street racers, get their enthusiasm fuelled by defying authority. After all, why should so many of them gather in the wee hours of the morning (the gatherings are already illegal) and race among themselves on public roads, which is also against the law.
Secondly, the police, by way of Kuala Lumpur Traffic Operation and Enforcement chief DSP Tan Hiap Seng, had defined Mat Rempit as young motorcyclists showing off their riding skills and endangering themselves and others in the process.
Who among us do not view Mat Rempit and other illegal racers on four wheels as a threat to our well being? Especially when we see a motorcyclist barrelling down the wrong way on a busy street just to escape the law.
Putera Umno's argument that it is difficult to stop the Mat Rempit from pursuing their interests needs clarification, especially when it is an established fact that their interest is racing on public roads, which is against the law.
Another point that requires clarification is the analogy used - if you can't beat them, join them - is way off mark.
There is also the point about things to be learnt from this group, such as their camaraderie. Yes, they have strong bonding among them, as residents in Jalan Medang Serai found out when vehicles were smashed for yelling to pipe down during the wee hours of the morning.
... to legalise such races is tantamount to encouraging youths to risk life and limb for the sake of being a jaguh kampung.
Getting them organised into clubs is a good idea but how do you regulate illegal activities? Mat Rempit do it for fame, money, drugs and girls - can society afford this?
7 comments:
asset or menace?
to the ordinary malaysians, definetly menace
but to the politicians who are scraping the bowl for voters, assets.
This is why I try not to go out at night, I nearly hit by Mat Rempits before. What the heck of this leader? Mat Rempits is assests? Ass Set indeed. My friend passed away coz of these 'ASS-SET', I will never forgive these asshole!
Sorry to hear of your friend.
My friend was punched and trashed by them and had to pay compensation for the accident which was both parties' fault.
hmm, what next? reforming snatch thiefs? lol
they are a menace.
but like i was saying that day, if you can somehow control/regulate their racing, some good can come out of this.
we just need to be far sighted.
i don't think that rempit is asset because they will cause other promble to our country
I would like to relate an incident which happened to me regarding these mat rempits. 2 weeks ago, I was driving down Jalan Sultan Ismail (KL), when a white Satria cut into my lane and I ended up clipping him from behind. The accident was very minor and we both pulled over to settle. Less than a minute later, mat rempits had arrived from behind me and surrounded my vehicle. They robbed me of my money, watch, phone and sunglasses, then beat me with helmets when I refused to hand over my credit cards! I believe that they were simply looking for an excuse to beat on a lone Chinese guy. Fortunately I was able to escape and run to Sheraton Imperial Hotel, where security kept them out and called the cops. By then my head was bleeding and I was bruised all over.
When the police arrived and I related my incident, they were honest with me; there was no point in making a report as nothing would come of it. I made a report anyway. The police were right. Even though I had managed to spot the licence no of one of the bikes, it turned out to be a fake plate. An “investigation” is underway to determine if the Satria was involved in the robbery, but I’m not getting my hopes up.
After reading many blogsites on the mat rempit problem, it seems to me that my story is not an uncommon one. None of us victims ever receive justice, and that the mat rempits usually get away scot-free, ready to commit more assaults, robberies or rapes.
The question I want to ask is, why is it that our society cannot effectively punish and control these criminals? I have heard excuses such as:
“our police force is too undermanned to catch the mat rempits, who far outnumber cops and are unafraid of them”;
“even if the police catch these mat rempits, there is no effective (legal) way of punishing them, since they do not fear jail”;
“UMNO Youth (Khairy Jamaluddin) is protecting them and using them as political leverage”.
And so on. I’m not sure how many of these excuses are valid. There have been calls to beef up out police force, or to destroy any motorbikes found to have been used in a crime. What I do know, is that not enough is being done to keep our society safe. This problem first surfaced in the late ‘90s, and it seems to have gotten worse. If the mat rempits know that the police are afraid of them, and the government is protecting them, can u blame them for getting bolder and bolder??
Like all those who hate these mat rempits, there is nothing I would love more than to run them over in my vehicle. However, is this really the best way to fight them? Would it deter them from committing crime, or make them more violent? Does anyone have a feasible long-term suggestion for eradicating these people from our streets? How do we make this problem a priority for our government?
I will be posting this blog on several sites, and will also write in to several newspapers calling for feasible suggestions to this problem. I am ashamed to admit that before this happened to me, I merely read the stories, and while resenting the mat rempits for what they did, I did not feel a need to take any action myself. I hope that all of you who have not yet become a victim do not make the same mistake. Imagine how bad this problem could get if left unchecked. How far will you let it go before you decide to take action yourself? When you yourself have been robbed and beaten? When your wife or daughter has been raped and murdered?
I hope that all of you who have taken the time to read my post, take more time to consider the situation and respond to it. If all of us band together and take action, maybe we will be able to wipe these criminals from our streets by next year.
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