SEREMBAN, May 23 (Bernama) -- The 'Street Gangsters' label given to Mat Rempit, youths with a penchant for street racing is a bit too much, said Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Ahmad Shabery Cheek.He said only a handful of Mat Rempit were involved in crime while the majority were just ordinary youths looking for some fun.
"This explosion of culture happens in many countries like that shown in movies like Tokyo Drift and The Fast and The Furious," he said after presenting prizes to 'Golf Amal 2009' participants at Sekolah Datuk Abdul Razak here.
Shabery said the scenario was similar to that during the 1980s when the community was against the craze for Scrambler motorcycles and Breakdance.
Despite disagreeing with the label, the minister said Mat Rempit groups were looking for trouble for racing in the streets rather than at the tracks.
"Mat Rempit are not interested in real racing. They can always join racing clubs if they want to. The closure of Batu 3 track and the distance of Sepang track is not an excuse.
"Building more race tracks is not the solution. They just want to show-off to other road users."
Shabery urged the authorities to tackle the Mat Rempit problem at the source, particularly the role of parents as most of the motorycles used were owned by family members.
tunku : so if they are not involved in crime than they are not "samseng".it is a crime to race on the road.they are samseng as they race on the streets not on racing tracks.hope shabery is not trying to be mat rempit hero or might be one of them before. there is no fun for the rest of us to see these street gangsters to race on the road which sometimes put our lives in danger.THEY ARE STREET GANGSTERS. these gangsters should be taught lesson.
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5 comments:
i am afraid to think what shaberry tought of mat rempits, of breakdance and of scramblers.
I think this Ministers is out of touch of the real world by being minister and sorts.
If any of your supporters of this minister read my comments pls tell this minister that samseng/gangsters/thugs, these definitions are right.
Mat rempit is a way for these thugs to romanticize their stupid and dangerous behaviors.
but then, being the minister, does he really care.
i pity najib...
syed mahmood
When I was 7years old in 1953 I walked to school with my neighbour frirnd. Unfortunately one day his father passed away and his mother who was a teacher in the Methodist Girls school was left with the task of bringing up her son.
After a year or so this boy did not want to walk with me to school as he had found new friends and did not like the idea that I was taking food from home to school for the break.
Then suddenly one day his mother was looking for me. Her 9 year old son was taken in by the police for theft. On our way to school we had to pass this Fruit and Sweet shop. Apparently he kept taking at first small quantities of sweets without paying for it. He and his new friend had developed this great tactic in those days. While one distracted the shopkeeper the other took whetever he wanted. I knew about his but did not say a word for fear of being beaten up. Another friend of mine who was older brought this to the attention of the mother. She questioned him but did not say in so many words that it was wrong. So the boy went on his merry ways.
One day these two boys took their work to a higher level They managed to take 20 Dollars from the milo tin rhat was used as a safe. The shopkeeper caught him in the act and called the police. The boy had a hearing and as he was still young he was sent to the Boy's Home in Kuala Lumpur.I never heard of him and still today am looking for him.
I do not think that I have to say anything further. By all means our elders are free to guide their children and law enforcement can do what they like because they have the power to change the rules of engagement as they go along. We the people who heed are powerless and those who do not heed have all the power.Ramlax
To the boy. If you read this please contact me at lyvd@yahoo.com
Sorry to say it is about time our police force seriously fighting these mat rempit or what ever people want to call them.
The police force spending more time and energy fighting the public with the road block for speeding. Most of these road block for speeding has been set up on the highway most of the time be it KL-Karak Expressway or North-South Highway in which less problems are.
The expressway is well designed for and most of the problem is on the trunk road. There is where our police force should spend their time for. Furthermore these speeding tickets issued by the police later on would become a negative perception by the motorist to the government.
Are we saying that our police force unable to fight these mat rempit for the last 10 years where else in the last 10 years they have issued people like us with millions of speeding tickets.
Police force better start to consider to stop interrupting the traffic every saturday morning at the KL-Karak Highway because they are having a road block for speeding. Come on the motorists are agood citizen of these country. Stop abusing them with various tickets for speeding that they have to pay. Focus on real criminal or mat rempit instead, let the motorist drive peacefully.
It is about time to set the priority straight.
Tok Kemuning,
Your points are well taken. I couldn't agree more when you say the police have been "over-zealous' in someways when they are seen to be more concentrating on motorists who exceed the 110 kmh on the Highways.
Compare this crime in terms of bringing hazard and life-threatening engagements, the so-called Mat Rempit would win hands down as the real dangerous culprits on our roads. While we do admit there are road maniacs too on the Highways (and the police have rightly done their duty here)the danger to the public is much less compared to what the Mat Rempit had done and are still doing today. I think the term "Street Gangsters" suits them perfectly. From illegal racing, street antics to purse snatching, molesting etc, these "gangsters" should be caught and punished for their actual crime and NOT just for street racing ! The police should be praised for starting a very strong and relentless war against these "gangsters" and we the members of the public must support this effort.
It is in this light that I vehemently disagree with Shabery for wanting to appear to be defending these "gangsters". They have been 'popularised' by constant media reports and even by the motion-picture industry. Even a devil when oftenly is given praise & recognition will turn to be an angel ! Perhaps the Minister, by virtue of being in charge of Youths, react or playact, to defend them. I think if he was still the Minister of Information, he would havve taken a different stand !
To me, a jail term plus whipping would serve as an effective deterrent ! So to the police I say 'attack' them with all your might till this road menace is completely wiped out on our Malaysian roads.
i agreed with tok,
recently i was in home town JB for funeral service. So i was in a hurry to buy some essential. I saw few car parking by a WHITE line and No sign board of NO parking. So i join the rest of car and park by the white lined side road. The 3rd lanes of a dual trunk road turning to shell station. I walked acroos the street to shop. after 10 minutes, i got a summon by a Police car. The offence was parking that blocking traffic flow. So i took a photo and after weekend, monday I went to the skudai polica station and ask for a reasons. They told me, the law in JB is you must park in a parking BOX for not being fined. policeman can fine you RM70/= for parking on the whiteline.
We are law obiding citizen, we follow the set rules, we never complains of FRIDAY parking on major trunk road, we never complain for special occasion of any breaking of parking laws. But on a quiet road... so i paid RM30 fined being within 7 days good paymaster.
Police give car ro ronda for crime, some offences can be minor, and in economic hard time, RM30/=means a lot to people. Simply fine and achieve daily quotas is not the right attitude of Police or traffic duty. At least proper sign must be stand up , that WHITELINE cannot park, or use the money to pain YELLOW line. It islike using one authority mistakes and make people or road users like a fool. Many queing for fine are so unhappy. Some got summon of wrong car plate no. It is like fake no plate also never checked during issuance of summon.
Worse still inspector no in the seat on Monday during 2pm, the clerk said he was 'sembayang'.ok.
I also got few summon alone karak. In most occassion, every car will exceed 60km/hr downhills. I suggest inspectors and HOME minister and transport minister should drive their car from karak toward kl and see weather the rules and limit set is realistic of normal car. For lorry , they must be slow.
Now i use my phone video to record the speedmeter, in case they catch me after toll, i got proof i m not exceeding speed, else, even if you are within limit also they fine you. WTF.
They just stop you and without evidence. where is the hidden man hiding from midnight to 2am alone karak highway?
99% will exceed 60km/hr driving downhills anyway.
Mind you, the divider (concrete) are without a single steel bar inside. Many lorry drove and break off the divider, Such a cheat had caused 4 deaths recently. But with many lorry break loose and hit over the divider, Next time you are on the karak highway, KEEP LEFT!.
Such fiddling and cheat of highway contractors, who would do audit and take actions on the highway operator?
I am telling the truth nothing but the truth, my lords.
Selayang police chief need to review why his team always so hard working on blocking speeding car after the toll....
and how much cash collected among his boys during such operasi...
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