A SARCASTIC observation by Facebooker Iskandar Abdul Hanan noted that Malaysians should be grateful to the Mat Rempit (illegal street racers) for stimulating the economy. He wryly noted that their past time allowed the petrol station owners to rake in more as well as motorcycle repair shops when mishaps occur.
Most pertinently, he also pointed out that grave diggers and stone masons would have work to do when these Mat Rempit meet their grisly end on the road.
Mat Rempit menjana ekonomi rakyat. Besar jasa mereka. Terima kasih Pit! 🙏🙏 pic.twitter.com/ThoNoeYSd4
— OH! MEDIA (@ohtweet) January 30, 2025
The post was shared on X by OH!MEDIA (@ohtweet) who saluted these Mat Rempit for their huge contribution to society.
One commenter applauded the poster for seeing the silver lining behind every cloud.
Some netizens also pointed out to not forget the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) and Road Transport Department (JPJ) that are also able to make a living from the Mat Rempit, alluding to the under-the-table money in lieu of closing one eye to traffic offences.
Some also added another category of beneficiaries – caterers ¬ as their service would be sought after at the victims’ funerals.
A few netizens stated that medical doctors were always less-than-pleased when having to attend to the Mat Rempit and their very much nasty self-inflicted injuries.
The sense of frustration was evident when some pointedly highlighted that it mattered not if the Mat Rempit perished but often, their antics involved adverse consequences for innocent bystanders.
The public’s apparent hypocrisy was also noted by one commenter who reckoned that Mat Rempit on older machines were said to be endangering lives but those on brand-spanking new models were heralded as heroes.
One netizen agreed with the poster that indeed this was an untapped industry that was potentially worth billions of ringgit.
Given the government’s seeming inability to deal with this menace, one netizen perhaps came up with a novel solution – an in-depth study of “Rempit-nomics”.
As time goes on, the Mat Rempit menace shows no signs of going away. Whether it is a lack of political will or signs of deeper malaise in society, the sight of the “flying superman” will remain a common sight on Malaysian roads.
In the meantime, Malaysians might as well look on the bright side of things. – Feb 3, 2025
Main image credit: mStar; Penang Press Facebook/Muhd Najmi
