Mariam Mokhtar
COMMENT | Will politicians ever find the political will to solve the Mat Rempit (boy racers on motorbikes) menace, before more deaths occur? Why have the police also failed?
Many incidents in Malaysia are easily solved, but they quickly degenerate into race- or religious-based issues, especially when politicians and like-minded individuals get their grubby paws on the matter.
Some self-serving politicians will complicate matters and allow the problem to spiral out of control.
These incidents are not isolated. Sam Ke Ting (above) and the Mat Basikal (boy racers on bicycles) tragedy. Fireman Muhammad Adib Muhammad Kassim in the temple riots. Mothers Indira Gandhi and Loh Siew Hong whose children were unlawfully converted by their irresponsible convert husbands. A mobile theft at the Low Yat Plaza escalated into a racial threat.
In February 2017, Mat Basikals were racing illegally at 2am on a highway in Johor Baru. Eight teenagers died, two others were critically injured and six more teenagers were slightly injured, when Sam Ke Ting hit them.
Sam was twice tried and twice acquitted. The racial and religious bigots were dissatisfied, so the High Court quashed these outcomes.
COMMENT | Will politicians ever find the political will to solve the Mat Rempit (boy racers on motorbikes) menace, before more deaths occur? Why have the police also failed?
Many incidents in Malaysia are easily solved, but they quickly degenerate into race- or religious-based issues, especially when politicians and like-minded individuals get their grubby paws on the matter.
Some self-serving politicians will complicate matters and allow the problem to spiral out of control.
These incidents are not isolated. Sam Ke Ting (above) and the Mat Basikal (boy racers on bicycles) tragedy. Fireman Muhammad Adib Muhammad Kassim in the temple riots. Mothers Indira Gandhi and Loh Siew Hong whose children were unlawfully converted by their irresponsible convert husbands. A mobile theft at the Low Yat Plaza escalated into a racial threat.
In February 2017, Mat Basikals were racing illegally at 2am on a highway in Johor Baru. Eight teenagers died, two others were critically injured and six more teenagers were slightly injured, when Sam Ke Ting hit them.
Sam was twice tried and twice acquitted. The racial and religious bigots were dissatisfied, so the High Court quashed these outcomes.
The tragic bicycle accident that occurred in Johor Bahru on Feb 18, 2017
On April 11, Sam was again acquitted of a reckless driving charge. Why was the process of seeking justice allowed to escalate into one long nightmare for Sam and the families of the dead teenagers? Had they probably been given false hope, by irresponsible people that Sam would be convicted, and the parents would have their revenge?
Of the eight deaths, three were 16 years old, four were 14 and the youngest was 13. One can only guess the ages of the spectators that night.
Why were they on the highway at 2 in the morning? What happened to parental control?
Justice is not served by jailing the driver because there will be other Mat Basikals/Mat Rempits to take the place of the eight dead teenagers
If parents fail to teach their children boundaries and disciplines, then expect more tragedies like this to happen. If they refuse to be responsible parents, then someone should tell them about Mr Durex.
Some of the parents of the eight who died in the Johor tragedy said that they failed to discipline their children because they could not cope with a stressed-out child or one who was sulking.
This is the problem of the Malays.
When an accident occurs, the parents will say "There was nothing we could have done, because God has planned this for us. Its fate. It is takdir Tuhan." This is the pathetic attitude of irresponsible parenting. It is never the fault of the parents, but it is always the car driver who is to blame.
Just imagine the shock and horror of a motorist finding himself surrounded by hundreds of people on bicycles and motorbikes in an illegal night-time racing event. Spectators are swarming on the central divide, the road, and its verges.
Those wearing dark or black shirts are difficult to spot on a dimly lit road.
In some towns, the council has failed to prune the branches of trees that obscure the highway lights.
In the Johor tragedy, irresponsible people accused Sam of being drunk, sleeping at the wheel, or high on drugs, texting or speeding. Police checks proved them wrong.
Who are the Mat Rempits?
Mat Rempits are mostly Malay youths, whom some people claim drifted to the towns from the rural areas, where opportunities are lacking.
It is alleged that Mat Rempits do not have an education and cannot find any useful employment in the cities. Some dabble in drugs, many are involved in illegal racing and many get rich through betting and racing. Many enjoy the thrill of the race and a majority aspire to become 'celebrities' in the illegal racing world.
As the majority of Malay children are given religious teaching, why do Mat Rempits/Mat Basikals appear to have a poor sense of values, are social misfits, appear not to have a sense of family belonging, lack the motivation to do something useful and are ill-disciplined?
On April 11, Sam was again acquitted of a reckless driving charge. Why was the process of seeking justice allowed to escalate into one long nightmare for Sam and the families of the dead teenagers? Had they probably been given false hope, by irresponsible people that Sam would be convicted, and the parents would have their revenge?
Of the eight deaths, three were 16 years old, four were 14 and the youngest was 13. One can only guess the ages of the spectators that night.
Why were they on the highway at 2 in the morning? What happened to parental control?
Justice is not served by jailing the driver because there will be other Mat Basikals/Mat Rempits to take the place of the eight dead teenagers
If parents fail to teach their children boundaries and disciplines, then expect more tragedies like this to happen. If they refuse to be responsible parents, then someone should tell them about Mr Durex.
Some of the parents of the eight who died in the Johor tragedy said that they failed to discipline their children because they could not cope with a stressed-out child or one who was sulking.
This is the problem of the Malays.
When an accident occurs, the parents will say "There was nothing we could have done, because God has planned this for us. Its fate. It is takdir Tuhan." This is the pathetic attitude of irresponsible parenting. It is never the fault of the parents, but it is always the car driver who is to blame.
Just imagine the shock and horror of a motorist finding himself surrounded by hundreds of people on bicycles and motorbikes in an illegal night-time racing event. Spectators are swarming on the central divide, the road, and its verges.
Those wearing dark or black shirts are difficult to spot on a dimly lit road.
In some towns, the council has failed to prune the branches of trees that obscure the highway lights.
In the Johor tragedy, irresponsible people accused Sam of being drunk, sleeping at the wheel, or high on drugs, texting or speeding. Police checks proved them wrong.
Who are the Mat Rempits?
Mat Rempits are mostly Malay youths, whom some people claim drifted to the towns from the rural areas, where opportunities are lacking.
It is alleged that Mat Rempits do not have an education and cannot find any useful employment in the cities. Some dabble in drugs, many are involved in illegal racing and many get rich through betting and racing. Many enjoy the thrill of the race and a majority aspire to become 'celebrities' in the illegal racing world.
As the majority of Malay children are given religious teaching, why do Mat Rempits/Mat Basikals appear to have a poor sense of values, are social misfits, appear not to have a sense of family belonging, lack the motivation to do something useful and are ill-disciplined?
Schools in the Felda settlements have a high dropout rate, drug taking is rife and immoral activity is common. Many Mat Rempits come from very large families, or broken families, where there is a lack of a male role model.
Previous Umno-Baru administrations failed to tackle this social issue. They failed to identify the root causes and deal with them, rather than give Mat Rempits stupid solutions, like more extensive religious indoctrination coupled with the compulsory wearing of the skull cap and Arab robes.
In Malacca, Kedah, Kelantan and Terengganu, the MBs proposed giving Mat Rempits flying lessons or building race-tracks and charging them a hefty RM75 or RM100 to race on it. Why pay when the highways are free?
Police enforcement is poor. If the police lack vital resources, they should demand an increase in the annual budget to enable them to tackle the manpower and equipment shortage.
Prevention is better than cure. Identify the root causes. There have been enough studies into the Mat Rempit menace, but both our politicians and police lack the political will or commitment to resolve them.
Education has failed, both the parents and the teenagers. Will Anwar Ibrahim find a solution for this Mat Rempit and Mat Basikal menace?
MARIAM MOKHTAR is a defender of the truth, the admiral-general of the Green Bean Army, and the president of the Perak Liberation Organisation (PLO). Blog, Twitter.
There is still a lot of disgruntled comment on line that Sam got off on a mere technicality, and she must pay for her "wrong doing".
ReplyDelete