In a bid to curb illegal motorcycle races, the government is set to allow Mat Rempits the chance to race on the streets of Kuala Lumpur, in legal fashion. So says Federal Territories Minister Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor, who states that the idea behind these organised races is to counter the growing problem of illegal motorcycle racing, Malay Mail Online reports.
Tengku Adnan said the government is considering closing roads in city once a week and setting that aside for motorcycle racing. “Probably in one week, one or two days, we will give it like the car-free day but only for Mat Moto to race at night,” he told reporters, adding that he preferred to term these bikers Mat Moto rather than Mat Rempits.
Acknowledging that a large number of Malaysians turned to unsanctioned racing because it offered economical thrills, he explained that Putrajaya was not promoting illegal racing but was trying to curb it by encouraging alternative methods.
He said that the government had previously organised races in enclosed tracks but public response to these had not been favourable, which was why many returned to racing illegally on the streets.
“We don’t want illegal racing, but we want them to race in a specific place. If they want to race, it’s okay but we (will) give them a place where we can control with safety barriers and all. We will control the situation because we realise that this is an entertainment for them. They have no other means to entertain themselves because of high costs,” he said.
Tengku Adnan said he would liaise with relevant parties in the government to come up with a programme to address the illegal street racing issue. “We will provide a suitable place and probably we will organise a fiesta, where we have food trucks selling food and other things to help them. It’s not encouraging, but you see, we want to see what the people like,” he explained.
What do you think of the idea of introducing organised street races in the city? Will it help in curbing the issue of illegal motorcycle racing, or will it make such bikers more brazen in their behaviour? Share your views with us in the comments section.
