KL POLICE Spying on MAT REMPITS; LAWS Amended – HEAVIER FINES & Jail Terms Affect FANS & SPECTATORS; WHY No RACE Tracks But PLENTY Golf Courses?
There is growing discontent and suspicions amongst the well educated Mat Rempits that they are being utilized for “political mileage”. The hardcore ones are adamant and would follow and participate in government sponsored activities but would return “back to their cliques and street racing”
The Head of UMNO Youth, WP, Dato Norza Zakaria pleaded that they need help, motivation and guidance to channel their skills, energy and drive into more productive and legal activities. His sincere and genuine moves to engage the thousands of Mat Rempit,s must be applauded. Illegal racers and spectators to face heavier fines and longer jail terms The full force of the law will be applied to bring to a halt the stunts and antics of these reckless bikers. Even their fans and spectators will not be spared. The illegal racers will have to slam on the brakes once amendments to the Road Transport Act come into effect. City Traffic chief Asst Comm Hamzah Taib said spectators caught watching illegal motorcycle races and egging on the participants would also be subjected to prosecution under the amendments. Mat Rempits and their fans can expect higher fines and longer jail terms. “Apart from defining what illegal racing is, the police are also seeking heavier penalties for it, as well as laws to punish the spectators,” he said, adding that a proposal had been submitted to the Transport Ministry. “At the moment, only the racers are charged – for reckless riding.” Asked whether the recent movie Remp-it – which portrayed the lives of Mat Rempits – had any effect on illegal racers, ACP Hamzah said there were two sides to the argument surrounding the issue. “On the one hand, some would say that the movie did glamorise illegal racing, but on the other, it also showed the consequences of the lives led by these people,” he added. ACP Hamzah said the police had only arrested about 300 illegal racers in “We also send in undercover officers to infiltrate their groups and obtain intelligence on their activities,” he added. He said police statistics showed that there were relatively-few cases in which Mat Rempits were involved in crimes like fighting or destruction of property. He lauded recent attempts by Putera Umno to reach out to the illegal racers. “It is a good move as they are trying to ‘civilise’ the racers. These people have a lot of determination and courage and if this can be channelled properly they can become productive members of society.” ACP Hamzah also said illegal racing was a non-compoundable offence. “This means that if somebody is charged under this offence they will have to face the music in court,” he added. Mat Rempit: We won't stop; 
With the new laws enacted, it looks like there will be a “show down” as some of them have reached the point of no return and unstoppable and untamable in their weekend of fun and “adrenalin rush”
ACP Hamzah said that the Road Transport Act 1987 did not define illegal racing and had no definition of illegal racers.
The present punishment for those convicted of the offence for the first time is a maximum five years' imprisonment and a fine of between RM5,000 and RM15,000, while subsequent convictions carry a jail term of up to 10 years as well as a fine of RM10,000 to RM20,000. 
Police carrying out more stringent checks in view of the coming Visit Malaysia year 2007
This is a direct rebuff to friendly overtures from politicians to bring them back to the fold. The illegal racers say that if the authorities really want to take them off the streets, all they have to do is build decent and affordable race tracks for them to do their "thing."
"They have been promising these things for a long time, but nothing much has been done so far," said Fairuz, 24, a mechanic by day and racer by night. The existing racetracks are inaccessible to the Mat Rempit because "we "As for the organised races, the competition is too tough for us," said a fellow enthusiast named Zaki.
Fairuz said the Sepang track was too far away from the city to be an attractive venue for the Mat Rempit - most of whom were low-income earners. "Why are there so many golf courses in the city and so few tracks? It lookslike nobody bothers about us because we have no money," he lamented.
Zaki, 25, added that Mat Rempit were not society's trash as they were often made out to be. "There are among us graduates from foreign universities as well as professionals, like architects and engineers," said Zaki who himself is a professional in the IT industry. He however conceded that the majority were despatch riders and mechanics.
Even then, all Mat Rempit should not be viewed with disdain just because of a few bad apples, he said. "All this negativity about us stems from the activities of a small number who were reported beating up people and caught for vandalism," said Zaki.
Fairuz concurred that Mat Rempit were not gangsters, just young men who thrived on the adrenalin rush from racing. "Like other sports, we can get emotional in a race. Sometimes fights break out. Then again, it is just among ourselves," he said.
Another racer named Kechik said Putera Umno's plan to convert Mat Rempit into Mat Cemerlang would not work. "Mat Rempit will gamely take part in government-organised roadshows and convoys. But after that, it's back to their cliques and street racing," said the 23-year-old university student.
Zaki said he was suspicious of the motives behind Mat Cemerlang. "Looks like someone's trying to get political mileage out of 'taming' us," he said.
Mat Rempit 'untameable' Thursday Sept 14, 2006, SATR
The attempt of Putera Umno to "tame" the 8,000 or so Mat and Minah Rempit was marred over the weekend when some of them misbehaved and purportedly indulged in vice, fights and brought shame to a mosque.
Harian Metro reported that some Minah Rempit wore revealing clothes in the mosque compound and at the Muslim graveyard when they came to clean up the area.
They were participating in the Putera Motor Merdeka Expedition Kuala-Lumpur-Teluk Batik 2006. Some of the Mat and Minah Rempit in the group also jumped into the Teluk Muroh's masjid's kolah (water storage pond) that was meant for ablution for worshippers before prayers.
Even though the locals admonished the group for their improper behaviour, this was ignored. The mosque committee then lodged a complaint with the Manjung District Religious Office (PAIDM).
PAIDM enforcement officer Mohd Zainuddin Mohamed Zaini confirmed with Harian Metro that his office had received the complaint.
In addition, he said, PAIDM also received numerous other complaints about this group of 8,000 or so Mat and Minah Rempit who were in Teluk Batik on Sept 9 and Sept 10.
He said some had checked into a hotel with males and females sharing the same room. He said they claimed that they decided to rent a room because it was not so comfortable camping by the beach. 
Putera Umno head Datuk Abdul Azeez Abdul Rahim: "I do not care if I become the laughing stock of society. At least I am doing something to make a change rather than to just ignore them completely. All they need is a chance to accomplish this"
He said the group of 8,000 were tightly controlled by 100 or so Rela members, and that the 7,700 male participants were put in camps along the beach, while the 300 or so females were placed in motels.
Road
ILLEGAL street motorcycle racers or Mat Rempits are the bane of motorists who travel the city's roads and highways around or after
These reckless bikers who not only endanger their lives but that of others with their dangerous riding habits have made certain parts of the city their happy hunting ground for their other passion - intimidating other motorists.
Travelling in convoys, these Mat Rempit bikers not only hog the whole road but also force others to slow down as though an ambulance or a VIP entourage was about to pass by. They also have the tendency to retaliate should anybody challenge their "authority" on the roads.
A group of Mat Rempits was once reported to have used a fire extinguisher to spray foam onto the windscreen of a motorist's car, all because the driver of the car dared to overtake them.
This incident took place in the respectable neighbourhood of Taman Tun Dr Ismail. A motorist who wished to be named only as Keith B. said he had encountered groups of Mat Rempits at least 10 times on the Penchala Link alone.
"These bikers occupy the whole road while they perform all sorts of stunts and they never let me pass.” I’m a careful driver, so I always keep my distance from them for fear of knocking them down.
"These groups are usually made up of around 50 bikers. I'm definitely afraid of being beaten up by them should I knock into any one of them," he confessed.
In
These youths, mostly aged between 15 and 30, gather every weekend without fail. They would assemble from
These Mat Rempits ride common motorcycles like Yamaha RXZ, Yamaha 125Z, Honda EX5, Suzuki Panther and Scooters.
Some have a woman riding pillion to add to the night's thrills. For residents who live near these bikers' meeting points, the loud exhaust noise is also causing them to have sleepless nights on weekends.
A resident said more than 300 bikers would gather at the Esso petrol station on Jalan Semantan every Saturday. "At around
"Mat Rempits should go to non-residential areas or open spaces to indulge in their sport. They are disturbing the peace of ordinary folks," he said.
On the whole, residents in affected areas feel that the traffic police and the Road Transport Department (JPJ) should do more to curtail the activities of Mat Rempits.
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Brickbats won’t stop Mat Rempit plan ;