Most of us have felt anger and disgust at these wayward youths when they recklessly cut us off on the road, or hog lanes on highways, but we have kept mum, fearing assault from these lawbreakers.
However Umno, putting its own spin on the issue, wants to take these very same illegal racers and let them do what they do best, legally.
Umno secretary-general Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor was quoted saying that the government may allow illegal racers, whom he fondly calls “Mat motor” (motorcycle enthusiasts) to race in Kuala Lumpur at night.
If that is not bad enough an idea, wait, there’s more. The government wants to do that by closing city roads to traffic.
According to Tengku Adnan, the move would allow the racers to enjoy the kind of “entertainment” they craved since they couldn’t pursue other activities due to the high costs involved.
“Probably in one week, one of two days we will give like a car-free day but only for ‘mat motor’ to race at night.
“If (they) want to race okay, but we give a place where we can control and where we have safety barriers,” he was quoted in news reports. Tengku Adnan however denied that this move would encourage more youths to get involved in illegal racing.
According to him, the government’s previous attempt to provide alternative venues for these racers such as the Batu Tiga circuit in Shah Alam, proved futile as the Mat Rempits go back to the streets.
Let’s get this straight. The government wants to give licence to a group of troublemakers to “entertain” themselves, at the expense of the general public.
His justification is wrong on so many levels that this writer doesn’t even know where to start.
Why does the general public have to sacrifice their business or leisure activities around the city at nights, to pave way for lawbreakers to run riot?
Tengku Adnan’s comment does not come as a surprise for those who are familiar with Umno’s long-lasting love affair with Mat Rempits.
After all, there have been many instances where more than one Umno leader has been quoted voicing support for Mat Rempits, saying all they needed was “education” to get off their destructive habit.
Why can’t Umno/BN create programmes to “educate” these racers on the cons of illegal racing, instead of providing the latter with channels to vent their destructive “skills”, and without sacrificing the needs and interests of the general public?
Perhaps Umno does feel threatened by the loss of support from the younger generation, especially from the majority of higher education students. This could be a way for the party to compensate for the loss – by pandering to the needs of, God forbid, lawbreakers of all people!