Crime & Courts

Penang cops go all out to weed out mat rempit

GEORGE TOWN: Police seized 48 motorcycles and issued 195 summons for various offences during the Op Samseng Jalanan in Butterworth yesterday.

State police chief Datuk Hamzah Ahmad said the operation at the Butterworth Outer Ring Road (BORR) near the Bagan Ajam R&R between 5pm and midnight involved three officers and 31 personnel.

He said the operation was aimed at weeding out mat rempit activity besides ensuring that road users abided by the rules at all times to reduce the risk of accidents.

"As a result, a total of 67 motorcycles were checked, of which 48 were seized under Section 64(1) of the Road Transport Act 1987.

"We also issued 195 summons for various offences," he said today.

Hamzah said Penang police were committed to eradicating the mat rempit menace in efforts to produce a generation of road users who abide by the rules.

"As such, the people, particularly the young, are reminded not to be involved in mat rempit activity which can affect their lives as well as that of other road users," he added.

On Aug 4, an operation conducted along the BORR to weed out mat rempit saw a large group of motorcyclists riding dangerously against the flow of traffic to avoid checks.

A video footage of the incident went viral on social media.

Recently, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim expressed concern over the high accident rate among motorcyclists, which was linked to weaknesses in traffic law enforcement and issues related to road maintenance.

Through a Facebook post, he said the same concern was expressed by the Alliance for A Safe Community chairman, Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye.

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