Published: Friday October 1, 2010 MYT 3:32:00 PM

Police inspector killed during ops against illegal racing

KUALA LUMPUR: A police chief inspector, who was leading an operation against illegal racing, was killed when the motorcycle he was riding collided with a car at a junction at Jalan Datuk Senu here. Kuala Lumpur traffic investigating officer DSP Abdullah Roning said Friday that the accident occurred at 10.30pm on Thursday while Mohd Khairul Zaini Mohd Zain, 31, was leading an eight-member team on motorcycles. "On reaching a junction, a car, with a 44-year-old woman at the wheel, which should have stopped to give way to the police, rammed into him. "The policeman suffered head injuries and died on the spot," he told Bernama. He said the body was sent to Kuala Lumpur Hospital for a post-mortem. Abdullah said Mohd Khairun, who had been with the police force for nine years, would be buried in his hometown in Kota Baru, Kelantan. "His body would be flown by the police air unit to Kota Baru for burial at the Panchor-Panji Muslim cemetery on Saturday," he added. He said the car driver had been detained for investigation. Meanwhile, Deputy Inspector-General of Police, Datuk Hussin Ismail said the police force was saddened by the incident and conveyed its condolence to the Mohd Khairun's family. His death was a great loss to the force because Mohd Khairun was a dedicated and a good policeman, he told reporters at a function at the Bukit Aman police mess here Friday. He advised other policemen to be cautious and ensure their safety while on duty. Earlier, Hussin witnessed the handing over of duties by the federal director of management and training, Datuk Abdul Razak Bokhari to Datuk Mortadza Nazarene and commercial crime director Datuk Koh Hong Sun to Datuk Noryah Md Anvar. Abdul Razak and Koh have reached the compulsory retirement age.
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2010/10/1/nation/20101001154037&sec=nation

300 bikers nabbed during illegal racing operation

Bernama Monday, May 16th, 2011 00:36:00

GEORGE TOWN: Three hundred motorcyclists regarded as "road bullies" were detained by the police in a nine-hour operation against illegal racing along Jalan Sultan Ahmad Shah and around Batu Uban, here, last night. Penang head of traffic and public order Superintendent Wan Aziz Wan Husin said the operation was jointly carried out by the Penang traffic police, road transport department and the environment department which began at midnight until 9am. He said all those detained were aged between 15 and 36, including seven female motorcyclists or pillion riders. "In the operation, police issued 257 traffic summonses and seized 31 motorcycles abandoned by the owners who were believed to have committed various traffic offences," he said when briefing reporters, here today. Wan Aziz said four of those detained were found to be positive for drugs and another was held for trying to ram through the police roadblock in an attempt to escape. All the detained riders were forced to push their machines for a distance of 15 kilometres from Batu Uban to the Penang police contingent headquarters for a half-an-hour counselling session by the police. A total of 62 personnel from the police, 42 RTD and environment department took part in the operation.
http://www.mmail.com.my/content/72248-300-bikers-nabbed-during-illegal-racing-operation

Illegal Street Racing: A Growing Problem

Posted: Thursday, March 30, 2006

by Peter Johnson all-about-car-selection.com It's not an uncommon sight. Two vehicles line-up at a streetlight, one challenges the other, and once the green light appears they take off as fast as they know how. Illegal street racing is not a new thing. It's been going on ever since the days of the Model T Ford. Over the years, speeds have increased and with the advent of cell phones and GPS systems, so has the technology. But the consequences of these careless actions have never changed. Thousands of accidents occur each year due to thoughtless, aggressive driving on our streets. But the trend continues to grow. Movies like The Fast and The Furious have helped to spread the virtues of street racing. Movies like these don't show innocent victims getting hurt, but rather they portray the characters as misunderstood good guys who have a passion for cars. It's easy to see how young people are able to accept the notion that street racing doesn't hurt anyone when everything they see in movies confirms it. Videos of illegal street races are downloaded off the web at a growing rate only to fuel the desires of those who are unable to see the dangers in it. Racing is not a bad thing. In fact, it's an exciting sport that requires training, discipline and skill. But the streets are no place for racing. Unfortunately, any young person (the majority are young) can get into their car, mash the throttle and drive. No experience, no talent, no discipline. All of this while innocent drivers use the streets for their day-to-day activities. So what are the solutions. Racing on our streets will never stop, but it can be reduced. What needs to be understood is that street racing is a social activity. People gather in a parking lot, hang out with friends, challenge someone to a race, and come back to the same parking lot once the race is over. Some cities recognized this and have opened drag strips for people to race, socialize and interact. For a small fee, they can prove themselves in a safe, supervised environment. This is also a great way to integrate local police with the participants. In order to reduce racing on our streets, local authorities need to control it. Larger fines won't reduce street racing. Hundreds of people have died racing on the streets in this country and if the possibility of death doesn't stop someone, a fine won't either. In the end we need to understand that the only way to reduce street racing is to provide an outlet for which it can occur. Until then, the masses will do what they know they'll continue to race on our streets.

http://petjoh.wrytestuff.com/swa52057.htm

A Mat Rempit is a Malaysian term for "an individual who participates in illegal street racing", usually involving underbone motorcycles (colloquially known as Kapcai) or scooters. Not all Mat Rempits are involved in street racing; some of them perform crazy stunts for fun, such as the wheelie, superman (lying flat on the seat), wikang, and scorpion (standing on the seat with one leg during a wheelie),or shuttu le katti. Mat Rempits usually travel in groups and race in bustling city centres on weekend nights. In recent times, Mat Rempits have been linked to gangsterism, gang robbery,[1][2] street fighting, assault,[3] vandalism, theft and bullying. Most motorcycles used by the Mat Rempits do not meet standard specifications, or have been modified extensively for greater speed, or just to make the exhaust noisier. Additionally, some Mat Rempits do not have valid motorcycle licenses, do not pay road taxes, and ride stolen motorcycles.[4][5] A growing number of housing estates have also been turned into racing tracks.[6] It is estimated that there are about 200,000 Mat Rempits in Malaysia.[7] In some other countries, the term Mat Rempit is also used, but more to refer to one as a motorcycle lover or rider (Mat Motor), as opposed to an illegal motorcycle racer. Sometimes, the term "Mat Rempit" is misused to refer to any individual who rides an underbone motorcycle. Related to this is the Mat Konvoi, which claim to be the non-racing version of Mat Rempit. In April 2009, Malaysia's Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Musa Hassan said that the Mat Rempit had become violent and brazen instead of just being a public nuisance. He said We have to come down hard on the Mat Rempit who have started to become involved in robberies, snatch thefts and are even attacking innocent road users." He also added that "Parents must be more responsible and should not allow their underage children to drive cars or ride motorcycles" The word "Rempit" comes from "ramp it" (ramp the throttle). According to Kamus Dewan, the definition of "Rempit" is "the act of whipping with a cane".[8] An alternative source of the word is derived from the noise made by a 2-stroke motorcycle. "Mat" is a Malay slang term used to address or to refer to a male person who is usually of Malay descent but is generally used derogatorily. There are numbers of political influence in helping Mat Rempit.

Mat Cemerlang
Khairy Jamaluddin and Abdul Azeez Abdul Rahim from Putera UMNO attempted to rebrand "Mat Rempits" as "Mat Cemerlang". Khairy suggested that "Mat Rempits" should become the "Eyes and Ears" of the Malaysian Police Force.

Adopt Mat Rempit

Datuk Mohamed Jaafar from UMNO suggested that Mat Rempit should be adopted to guide and save them from indulging in dangerous activities.[2]

Kelantan to build track for Mat Rempit

Kosmo! reported that Mat Rempit in the state of Kelantan will be allowed to show off their skills at a special track [3] to be built by the state government soon. The Menteri Besar of the state of Kelantan, Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat said the track in Tanah Merah was not a waste of money.

They (Mat Rempit) always make their mothers and wives worry. With the track they will have a proper place to express their feelings and show their bravery and heroics

Kedah considering circuit for Mat Rempit to race

The Government of the state of Kedah is looking into the possibility of building a circuit [4] for Mat Rempit to race and overcome the menace, saying another option was to create more job opportunities for them as most of them were jobless. Azizan said:

We will first study if the circuit in Kelantan has effectively curbed the menace

[edit] Notable massive operations

On 3 May 2009, the Bukit Aman Traffic Division of the Royal Malaysian Police, together with the Road Transport Department, have lanched a major integrated operation to crack down on both car and Mat Rempit motorcycle illegal racing. More than 115 motorcycles were impounded in the major operation which was held simultaneously in Kuala Lumpur, Selangor, Penang and Negeri Sembilan.[9]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mat_Rempit

Illegal racing: 50 rounded up in ops

Posted on September 11, 2011, Sunday

BOOKED: Traffic policemen record particulars of a youth suspected of being involved in illegal racing. SIBU: The police here made their biggest illegal motorcycle racing bust to date when rounding up 50 men including youths and seizing 40 bikes and two cars during Ops Bersepadu on Friday night. The operation targeting motorcycles at Pedada Road was under orders from Sibu police chief ACP Shafie Ismail, with Sibu head of traffic police ASP Vincent Tan leading 50 policemen including MPVs, traffic policemen, CIDs and Narcotics team from all branches here.

None of the suspected Mat Rempits got away because there were many roadblocks. This was the biggest success over these few years, Tan told reporters at Sibu Central Police Station after the operation. He admitted that previous operations that were more towards prevention turned out to be catand-mouse chases between two hotspots in Pedada Road and Awang Ramli Amit Road. Tan said police would not hesitate to continue taking stern action as they had received numerous complaints from the public over illegal racing activities in town. If parents do not bother to control their children, we will let the law control them, said the traffic police head. He urged parents to be more vigilant of their childrens activities as influenced by peers, they might indulge in risky activities such as illegal, rowdy and dangerous motorcycle racing. Tan said many parents did not know their children were involved in such activities. It is not too late to be concerned for them and prevent them from getting involved in dangerous racing that could cost them their lives. He said it would be too late when a family receive a call from the hospital. The traffic police head called on youngsters to appreciate life as one could pay a summons or repair a bike, but not replace a life. The operation was also to stop motorcyclists from throwing firecrackers indiscriminately. In the half hour operation beginning at 9.30pm, the 50 people aged 17 to 30 had to push their bikes in a convoy from Pedada Road to the police station. Ten of them were selected for urine test. Four tested positive for drugs. Police believed the owners of the only two cars seized a 4-wheel-drive vehicle and a Myvi car were the illegal racing organisers. A youth was handcuffed to his motorcycle after he attempted to escape by ramming his bike into a policeman. Tan said summons would be issued to the traffic offenders.

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http://www.theborneopost.com/2011/09/11/illegal-racing-50-rounded-up-in-

ops/#ixzz1gOpgJZFZ http://www.theborneopost.com/2011/09/11/illegal-racing-50-rounded-up-in-ops/

Proper facilities will discourage illegal racing: Pro drifter

Published on: Friday, November 04, 2011

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Kota Kinabalu: Illegal racing or rempit starts when proper facilities are not provided or available to motorsports lovers. Malaysian professional drifting driver, Tengku Djan Ley or his full name, Tengku Djan Ley bin Tengku Mahaleel said any form of motorsport could contribute to "Lumba Haram". When no proper facility is provided, sports lovers in this sense would 'practice' their interests anywhere they deem suitable, he said. "So it should be in the interest of the government to help nurture the people to take up motorsports the right way and the first step in doing so would be having a designated safe area to conduct these activities," he said. Adding to that, he said the benefit of being involved in this sport (or other sports in general) is the ability to discourage youngsters from indulging in negative activities such as drug abuse and partying all night long. "Drifting is a sport. In any sport you have to be focused, disciplined and healthy to excel," Tengku Djan said. The government, he stressed, should provide a designated area for drifters to practice their skills and for new comers to get involved in the sport. Apart from that, he said drifting is probably the fastest growing form of motor-sports at the moment, seeing the events held relating to this sport in the country. "It's accessible and relatively cheap to get involved in. Plus there are a lot of events happening on a weekly basis here (Kuala Lumpur)," he pointed out. However, he considers the sport as still being at its infant stage in Sabah, thus unity among all motor-sports lovers is essential in ensuring the sport develop instead of it being a source of feud among involved youth and people alike. In this respect, the drifter of Kelantan royal lineage pointed out that practice makes a person better in whatever they do, same goes to drifting. "Drifting, like any other sport is all about practice.

The more you practice the better you get, and the more comfortable you become behind the wheels. "So I suggest Sabahans to train regularly and share their knowledge and skills within the community," he said. Tengku Djan Ley is the head of Proton Motorsports and is also a Malaysian professional drifting driver who has taken part in the D1 Grand Prix racing series and others. He has won the 12 hour Merdeka Millennium Endurance race twice in 2005 and 2006 and had also competed in the 2005 FIA GT Zhuhai Supercar 500 race, sharing a Lotus Exige 300RR with Paul Stokell. The pair finished 14th overall and 2nd in G2 class. Other than that, he finished 5th in the D1 Grand Prix's 2006 and 4th place in the D1 Grand Prix's 2007 "World All-Star" tournament at Irwindale Speedway. He will be one of the judges for today (Friday) and tomorrow's Burnout360 Drift Challenge, which is held in conjunction with City Hall's community programme at the Likas Stadium car park. Co-organiser of the event, Steve Johnny Mositun said participants stand a chance to win cash prizes of up to RM3,000 (champion), starting from RM500 for the fifth winner, and RM700, RM1, 000 and RM2, 000 for the fourth, third and second winners respectively. Performance such as automobile and other car shows would also be exhibited apart from the drift challenge, while local DJ, DJ Othoe will be the official emcee. Among other attractive events include the anti-litter bug campaign, Belia Benci Dadah, performances from local artistes as well as the Burnout360 Calendar girls contest will also be held during these two days. The first Drift Club in the state - D1 Club (Kota Kinabalu Motorsports Club) members would be in charge of technical and security aspects.

http://www.dailyexpress.com.my/news.cfm?NewsID=79632

Mat Rempit In Malaysia Heres Your Fine!

Posted on October 15th, 2009

The youths of today have created a problem which the government does not seem to be able to solve. Illegal racing or better known as merempit motor is popular among the young. Anyone involved in the illegal racing of motorcycles will be charged under Section 81 of the R.T.O (Road Traffic Ordinance) 1987. What does a person involved in illegal racing face under the above said section 81? He actually faces: 1) ARM2000 fine or 2) A 6 month prison sentence 3) Or he might even be handed both the above sentences. 4) His license will be suspended for 1 year. Should a person be involved for a 2nd time in illegal racing, the penalty would be: 1) A fine of RM5000 or 2) A prison sentence of 1 year or both as in (1) and (2) 3) His license will then be suspended for 3 years. As far as the writer is aware, it seems Parliament has passed a law to confiscate the motor used in illegal racing. Whether this is true or otherwise, cannot yet be ascertained. Nevertheless, the above is definitely a good move. Looking at the Mat Rempit menace itself, the inability of the authorities to curb this problem successfully is a grave concern. Sterner actions should thus be introduced. Some quarters have gone to the extent of suggesting whipping as one of the resorts. Whether this would be accepted or introduced is left to be seen. But something concrete has to be done. Otherwise the Mat Rempit menace the country faces today will escalate into greater magnitude. By that time, it will then be too late to solve.
http://driving-school.com.my/driving-in-malaysia/merempit-in-malaysia-fine-and-summons/

Bernama.com

General

September 07, 2006 19:17 PM

Illegal Street Races A Negative Impact On Tourism, Says Deputy IGP

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 7 (Bernama) -- Illegal street races give the impression of lawlessness in the country and can undermine inbound tourism, Deputy InspectorGeneral of Police Tan Sri Musa Hassan said Thursday. He said foreign tourists could get the impression that Malaysian roads were unsafe and spread this message to others overseas.

The action of a small section of society that did not care for the safety of others could tarnish the image of the country, he said when opening a forum on problems of illegal racing at the Police Academy in Cheras, here. Musa hoped the forum would instill awareness among students who are also attending it on the dangers of illegal racing and the pertinent laws. According to police statistics, 2,970 of the 3,182 people arrested for illegal racing between January and May this year were aged between 16 and 25 years. On Wednesday's decision of the Cabinet for police to postpone the enforcement of the reduced quantum of fines for several types of traffic offences, which the Transport Ministry said it had not been informed about, Musa said police would abide by the decision. -- BERNAMA