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An overwhelming 97% of the public have said no to the government’s proposal to hold legalised motorcycle street races on certain closed roads in Kuala Lumpur, in a Tuesday online poll (which can be found here) that was shared on social media, reported The Sun.

The ballot, which asked, “Do you agree with the plan to close certain roads in Kuala Lumpur to allow mat rempits to race?” racked up a total of 72,389 votes as of 10:30 am today, with 69,923 people disagreeing with the plan and only 2,466 wanting the government to go ahead with the proposal.

This comes after the federal territories minister Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Mansor said on Monday that he was considering closing specific roads once a week to allow motorcyclists to race, adding that the objective was to prevent motorcyclists from speeding in housing areas.

However, he explained that Putrajaya was not promoting illegal racing but was trying to curb it by encouraging alternative methods. His reasoning was not to encourage the Mat Rempits to race, but to control the situation, adding that motorists needed to entertain themselves without harming the general public.

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In response to this, mayor Datuk Seri Mohd Amin Nordin Abd Aziz said that he was open to the idea and wanted bikers to submit proposals, adding that DBKL would assist in road closures and other matters. However, the police were more cautious on the matter, with Bukit Aman Internal Security and Public Order director Comm Datuk Muhammad Fuad Abu Zarim saying that a proper discussion with the federal territories ministry needed to be held.

The Road Safety Department (JKJR) was also wary of the plan, raising concerns about traffic jams and the safety of people gathered on the pavement, as well as comparing it to the problems that arose from last year’s inaugural KL City Grand Prix. Soon after, Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar has said he will meet with the federal territories minister to discuss the matter further.

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? Sound off in the comments section after the jump.