PUTRAJAYA, 7 May 2009: Mat rempit (illegal motorcycle racers) are now eligible to participate in the government’s trade training scheme for youths, and are guaranteed employment once they complete the courses, Director-General of Labour Datuk Ismail Abdul Rahim said today.
He said the government had allocated RM50 million for the training scheme, which was being conducted by the Human Resources Ministry at various centres throughout the country.
Those interested could contact the nearest Labour office to register for the courses, he told Bernama today.
Joint committee approved
In KUALA LUMPUR, Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Tan Sri Musa Hassan said the proposal by the Home Ministry to set up a joint committee between relevant ministries and agencies to tackle the issue of mat rempit and illegal racing was necessary to curb such activities.
“It’s certainly necessary for us to study why such things are happening. Looking at these issues, we notice that most of those involved are youths.
“We can’t be adopting the enforcement approach all the time, because we see that it is not very effective as they will repeat the activities although punishment has been meted,” he said here today.
Musa said parents should play a role in educating the youths so that they would not indulge in immoral activities.
When asked whether it was necessary to have a rehabilitation centre for mat rempit to curb the problem, he said it must be studied thoroughly.
Yesterday, Deputy Home Minister Jeliang Mersat said the Home Ministry was deeply concerned by the people’s unhappiness over the issue as it involved violence that led to fights and even death.
High-powered motorcycles
Meanwhile, in SHAH ALAM, Selangor police said they would step up enforcement and operations against mat rempit and other road offenders with the addition of 248 high-powered motorcyles in the force.
The activities of mat rempit are being monitored, and the traffic police and other police units set up special squads three months ago to carry out blitzes on them from midnight until morning, Selangor police chief Datuk Khalid Abu Bakar told reporters here today.
Khalid said the focus would be on urban areas like Petaling Jaya and Subang Jaya, where there was a lot of illegal racing by mat rempit.
Warning parents to monitor their children to ensure that their motorcycles were not used by children without a licence, he said action would be taken against not only the offender but also the owner of the vehicle. — Bernama
dominik says
One wonders whether the Govt. realises what is going on in the minds of the “Mat Rempit”. I am very sure not all Mat Rempits are jobless people and have nothing to do but ‘thrill racing’. I remember an article written by a working graduate who loves to ride fast for the thrill and excitement it brings.
I do not think “offering” training schemes will solve the ‘Mat Rempit” adventure.
ali ahmad says
These mat rempit fiasco is wasting peoples’ money. I suggest that send them (with pocket monies) to help NGOs helping refugees at Darfur, Liberia and Palestine for at least six months. Hopefully after seeing all the sufferings, they will change and help to build up our country. These mat rempit do not know how to appreciate life until they see death or sorrows in front of their eyes or are part of it.
Jonathan Ong says
I agree with you guys, Ali Ahmad and dominik.
Being jobless is not the sole reason why these Mat Rempits indulge in what they are doing. If the government wants to send them for such programs financed by taxpayers’ money then they should also send snatch-thieves and robbers too. After all, they rob and steal because they can’t ‘get a job’ too, right?
I’d say send these menaces to do social service for a year or so. Give them hard work and let them see how their actions undermine civil peace and productivity.
Alv-K says
My first impression on this is the government is wasting the rakyat’s money to train Mat Rempit so they will not be easily caught during their robbery attempt!
Sorry, I am being biased here. The fact is the solution is not aiming at solving the issue.
I agree with dominik that a majority of the rempit are not jobless but just ‘thrill racing’. Not understanding the actual cause of the problem, simply just put up a quick “remedy plan” to it will never solve the problem.
May be another allocation of funds need to be pumped into police training, so the traffic police will have the racing skills to match the rempit at the end. Another waste of rakyat’s money!
I have to agree with Jonathan Ong for the idea of sending these menaces to do social service for a year, plus wearing the T-Shirt bearing these words – “I am a Rempit under punishment”, get the parents to wear “I am this Rempit’s parent” t-shirt as well for every Sunday to keep their rempit child accompanied. I strongly believe that the parents are jointly liable for their rempit child’s act!