Beware those who drive on Malaysian roads

 

Speed thrills. Otherwise, motor racing would not be such a popular sport.

But speed also kills, which was what happened to eight youngsters who threw caution to the wind.

As a result of their reckless behaviour, a woman is to be sent to jail for being unlucky enough to have encountered them on the highway at three in the morning… a place where they should not have ventured into and at a time when they should have been tucked up in bed.

One cannot help but ponder the fact that the parents of these 13 to 16-year-old kids did not wonder why their young sons were still not home at that hour.

These “mat lajak” kids eventually graduate to the “mat rempit” status. Just over the Labour Day weekend, 92 mat rempit, some as young as 15, were nabbed in a police operation in Ipoh.

Three of those arrested were women. Perhaps they have an unnaturally excessive amount of testosterone given their taste for a stunt usually associated with not-very-smart men.

Everyone knows that these night-time street racers are a nuisance on the road, and it’s not just the noise of them revving their motorcycles as they line up at the starting line.

Now, what if an innocent motorist just happens to be cruising along the highway and out comes a dozen of these road hogs roaring from a byway and hitting his car.

What if some of them are killed in the process. Now, will he too be sent to jail?

Seriously, what happens to these “mat lajak” and “mat rempit” who get swept up by the long and speedy arm of the law?

Apart from being forced to push their motorcycles for miles to the police station, are they also sent to jail for six years and be made to pay a fine of RM6,000?

We have to face the fact that for the most part, we are a nation of bad drivers.

Our cabbies have the dishonour of being voted the worst in the world.

Road bullies rule the highways. Just last week, a man was captured on video driving dangerously.

A video clip of him in his Toyota Alphard overtaking on the emergency lane and provoking other drivers went viral, prompting the law enforcers to advise him to make the nearest police station his next stop.

He has since been arrested.

Driving on Malaysian roads can be frustrating. The rush-hour commute and the drive to the kampung for the festive season take a toll on everyone behind the wheel, and some in the passenger seats too.

Many would have reacted with very colourful language.

Then too, danger lurks around every corner, causing mishaps and death.

But rather than address the issue, we sometimes punish the guy who just happens to be unlucky enough to be at the wrong place at the wrong time. - FMT

The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of MMKtT.