SEVEN years ago, I highlighted my concerns about the “Mat Rempit” menace after the demise of Corporal Mustaghni Tabri. He became a victim while performing his duties in a road safety operation against illegal racers in 2012.
Today, a decade later, a stunt rider can be as young as nine. As he is too young to ride on a motorcycle, he hops onto a modified bicycle and rides daringly in a group.
This juvenile stunt riders, Mat Lajak, are as fearless as their predecessors, Mat Rempit, in performing dangerous stunts on the roads.
Two years ago, eight Mat Lajak were hit by a car and killed on a highway in Johor early in the morning.
A few days ago, police had detained 13 Mat Lajak for riding recklessly on modified bicycles in Kajang. Many of the bicycles had their breaks removed.
Parents of delinquent youngsters should take more of the blame for not guiding and disciplining their children properly. Children need a lot of guidance in their formative years, before they can grow up into well-behaved adults.
The authorities should focus more attention in finding the underlying factors causing the delinquency, instead of detaining and reprimanding the riders and their parents. They must rope in child counsellors, criminologists and retired police officers to tap their expertise.
Parents are their children’s first teachers as well as their guardians, thus they are the most influential people in their lives. It is vital they guide their children properly to become law-abiding citizens while they are still young.
Patrick Teh
Ipoh
