“We need to re-brand them, give them the assurance of being accepted by society and provide them with a platform for them to excel in their current preoccupation of motorcycle racing.”
THEN Umno Youth chief Datuk Abdul Azeez Abdul Rahim, who described Mat Rempit as potential human capital that could be put to good use, such as being the “eyes and ears” of Umno and the government. (Source: Putera Umno out to change people’s perception of ‘mat rempit’, The Star, 14 Aug 2006)
“We want them to follow the law, but we need to have programmes to educate them. We will take them to the Road Transport Department to get them to register for licences.”
Khairy Jamaluddin, then Umno Youth deputy chief, defending Mat Rempit. (Source: Putera Umno to set up clubs for Mat Rempit, The Star, 26 Aug 2006)
“Go ride your motorbikes around town until midnight tonight, and until 5pm tomorrow, not to scare people but to raise their spirits.”
Abdul Azeez again, now Umno supreme council member. He was speaking at the Barisan Nasional (BN) Youth operations centre during the Bukit Selambau by-election. Azeez, and several other local Umno Youth leaders, pledged to defend Mat Rempit if they were in trouble. The bikers were told: “Follow the law, but if the police give you a hard time, just give us a call.” (Source: Azeez: Expect PR defections in Kedah, The Nut Graph, 6 April 2009)
“There should not be any compromise in dealing with them. They say they become Mat Rempit because they are bored. Why break the law just because you are bored?”
Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil on the Mat Rempit menace. Shahrizat, also Umno Wanita chief, chastised the family members of these youths, saying, “Parents should not wash their hands off the children and hope the authorities would deal with them.” (Source: Shahrizat: Get tough with Mat Rempit, The Star, 27 April 2009)
Mat Rempit gangs have attracted attention for recent acts of violence and robbery. Following public outcry, the police and the Road Transport Department (JPJ) have initiated joint operations against them to seize their motorcycles. 
James says
They are nothing but hardcore criminals who are being pampered by the insidious ruling politicians. In the past politicians used gangsters to do their dirty work; now mat rempits are being used instead. Of course as a reward for doing the dastardly deeds these criminals are given political protection. Simple reasons why the mat rempits lord over their victims without any fear whatsoever.
Monica Voon says
Whack them on the head, teach them proper manners, respect and civil behaviour, send their parents to parenting school … and if that still doesn’t work, lock them up and throw away the key. What nonsense they make of self-proclaimed assertions of Malaysian ‘culture’ (whatever that means) and ‘adat.’
Pratamad says
Being a leader of the ruling party, what Azeez said sounds like someone who is clueless on how to deal with this social problem and yet pretend to be ‘involved’. What he said was worse than sweeping the problem under the carpet; he is twisting the reality and turning ‘dirt’ into ‘gold’.
Ahmed Zainal says
They are just parasites to society. Use the law against them before they do more harm to the others.
orang kampung says
Umno Youth openly wants to protect these mat rempits for reasons they only know.
One revealing reason can be assumed from this statement “THEN Umno Youth chief Datuk Abdul Azeez Abdul Rahim, who described Mat Rempit as potential human capital that could be put to good use, such as being the “eyes and ears” of Umno and the government. (Source: Putera Umno out to change people’s perception of ‘mat rempit’, The Star, 14 Aug 2006)
Might as well draft them into PDRM-Polis Diraja Malaysia to legitimize them? Or are they being used by Umno as pawns in their scheme of political dominance?
railcoop says
Most of the mat rempit are maybe the result of the drift of the masses from the rural hinterlands to the cities looking for jobs and possibly other forms of ’employment’. It is possible that many of them may be children of Army and Police and Army personnel. That may be one reason why the Police do not take them seriously. On the other hand they may also be the children of the present day Malay ‘Elites’ who are busy trying to get ‘contracts’. Most, if not all, are certainly the victims of psychological problems. They find friendship in the rempit group. They find no need to go to an empty home.
Is the government seriously looking into why youngsters become mat rempits? It is cruel that Umno Youth is said to use them for their political purposes.
These boys and girls need urgent help. The government should react before the critical mass is reached and it is too late to avoid a lot of sufferings.