People are often fed with the perception that all motorcyclists behave in the same manner, said Pekin, who directed the movie Mat Moto.
In fact, only a small number of motorcyclists are from that group, with the rest merely being Mat Motor, or motorcycle enthusiasts. Pekin, 34, also considers himself as a Mat Motor.
He said he did not like being called a Mat Rempit as the word carries a negative meaning, and is often associated with illegal races and social problems.
“The so-called Mat Rempits are also ‘stubborn’ against the law, in contrast to Mat Motor, who are often more careful,” he said in an interview with Bernama.
However, generally there is no precise definition of both terms, as they were coined by the mass media, and not defined in a dictionary.
Pekin said he himself had previously been misunderstood by a woman as being a Mat Rempit because he rode a high-powered motorcycle.
A civil servant who only wanted to be known as Zaidi who claimed to have been involved in illegal racing before said Mat Rempits were those who loved freedom, liked to show off stunts, and often moved in groups.
“There are no Mat Rempits who go solo,” he said. Most of them rode ‘kapcai’ motorcycles, heavily modified to make them more powerful, in contrast to Mat Motor, who often adapted their motorcycles for cosmetic reasons.
Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia senior lecturer in psychology and human development, Dr Nasrudin Subhi, said those who were usually involved in Mat Rempit activities were those at the end of adolescence or early adulthood, and single.
“Young bloods have drive and their courage level is very high. They are not the very young or the middle-aged, and would undoubtedly think about their future when they mature,” Nasrudin said recently.
Given their young age, Nasrudin suggested the group be provided with skills classes, as one of the ways to utilise their free time.
“This will improve their skills, and enable them to use them to generate income on a small scale, because those who are involved in Rempit activities, will stop it after reaching a certain level of maturity,” he said.
Federal Territories Minister Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor raised a controversy recently by suggesting that certain areas of the capital be used as motorcycle tracks to meet the needs and interests of young motorcyclists.
– BERNAMA