Kelantan state government plans more recreational and motoring locations to address mat rempit activities, emphasising guidance over enforcement
KOTA BHARU: The Kelantan state government plans to provide more recreational locations and suitable motoring activities to curb the phenomenon of mat rempit (illegal motorcycle racing).
State Youth, Sports, NGO and Community Solidarity Committee chairman Zamakhshari Muhamad said the move was in line with the state government’s stance of wanting to see social issues involving young people assessed comprehensively without prejudice.
He said every assessment regarding the issue of illegal racing must be made fairly by taking into account various angles of study and scrutiny and should not rely solely on enforcement.
According to him, although there are no specific statistics to illustrate the true level of rempit activities in the state, the closest indicator that can be referred to is through arrest reports from the Royal Malaysia Police.
“Based on the report, three states recorded the highest arrests, namely Selangor, Johor and Penang, while Kelantan, Terengganu and Perlis were in the lowest position.”
“If this indicator is used, rempit activity in Kelantan is actually at a lower level compared to other states,” he said at the winding up session at the Kelantan State Legislative Assembly sitting at Kota Darulnaim Complex.
Despite that, Zamakhshari stressed that the state government did not take the issue lightly, but rather still took the issue seriously and was committed to addressing it at the grassroots level.
“Young people are not a problem, but rather a national asset that needs to be guided. Efforts to address this issue require the involvement of all parties including parents and educational institutions,” he said.
Previously, the media reported that the departure hall at the new Sultan Ismail Petra Airport (LTSIP) Pengkalan Chepa terminal here, which has been fully operational for less than a month, was turned into a racetrack by mat rempit.
The activity involved is said to have taken place since last Ramadan until Friday night when it went viral on social media after being recorded by airport users.
