TRAFFIC offenders who drive above the speed limit will feel like a saint when they view the recently viral video where hundreds of Mat Rempits rode against the traffic on the highway of Bagan, Penang.
The dangerous situation was exacerbated by the fact that the riders took up not one, but two lanes, leaving the cars with one lane to drive on.
Responding to their delinquency, a Malay netizen @amer7211 uploaded another video alongside the Mat Rempits, showcasing the difference between the China Chinese and Malay youths.
Orang Cina datang ke Tanah Melayu sehelai sepinggang. Sekarang, mereka punya tanah berekar-ekar. Sementara orang Melayu dulunya tanah berekar-ekar. Sekarang tinggal sehelai sepinggang.
Bila mereka lebih maju ke hadapan daripada kita, kita marah, dengki bagai sampai ada yang… pic.twitter.com/Y9lDaeLzb6
— Amer Hamzah (@amer7211) August 6, 2024
In stark contrast, the China Chinese children could be seen training diligently for the Olympics, a testament to the numerous medals the country has won thus far.
@amer7211 went on to lament that the Chinese who were once unsuccessful are now far ahead of the Malays, owning many hectares of land.
While his post drew quite a sizable support from fellow netizens, there are some who viewed his comparison as inaccurate.
One netizen, however, decided to see things in a positive light, stating that Malaysia may win a gold medal if Mat Rempit became an Olympic sport.
If the concept of riding a bike wildly does not draw concern, then the fact that the Health Ministry (MOH) published an article about Mat Rempit as a psychological problem should make anyone hit the brakes.
According to the MOH article, the effort to bring out something more beneficial from this group of youth is generally frowned upon by the public and gets a typically cold shoulder from the group themselves.
“Literally, they are seen as hopeless group of youth who can bring out nothing good,” said MOH.
MOH went further to say that several measures can be employed to curb the Mat Rempit behaviour. For starters, Mat Rempit should never be portrayed as a hero or as a glorified villain in any films or media.
Instead, media time should be given to youngsters who are also in the same age group, socio-economic background and educational background who are relatively successful or able to do much better than them.
“These are narrative intervention that can be done and psychological issues that need to be tackle before we can control the group in a way. It is not easy but not impossible,” said MOH, admitting to the obstacle that stood in the way of corrective measures. – Aug 8, 2024
Main photo credit: beautifulnara.net
