The death of 4 mat rempits in an illegal race in Penang recently made headlines as many criticised the deceased for participating in the unlawful activity.
Some have even called for punishments to be imposed against such groups for endangering other road users as well as themselves.
Recently, DAP chairman Lim Guan Eng took to Facebook to express his frustrations over the lack of punishments. In his statement, he said, “Drunk driving requires the same penalties for mat rempits.”
He also called out Transport Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong.
“Wee Ka Siong is unfit to be a Transport Minister if he cannot see that the huge disparity between fatal accidents involving mat rempits and drunk driving, requires the same penalties for mat rempits.”
“Data provided by the police show that the number of road users involved in ‘driving under the influence’ of alcohol and drugs was 212 in 2020, 39 (2019), 191 (2018), 212 (2017), and 461 (2016),” he explained.
Meanwhile, he cited that figures from the World Health Organisation and a global road safety report from December 2018 showed that less than 1% of traffic-related deaths in Malaysia are linked to alcohol making it one of the lowest rates of road fatalities in the world.
“Compare the large 12,000 deaths in fatal accidents related to mat rempits with drunk driving. The Malaysian Police data showed that since 2014, DUI contributed to the lowest percentage of deaths from the total number of road fatalities with 2.89% in 2014, 3.41% (2015), 3.31% (2016), 0.86% (2017), and 0.85% (2018),” he added.
“Only 69 cases of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs on Malaysian roads were attributed to fatal crashes between 2011 and July 2021.”
He then urged Wee to impose the same punishment on illegal mat rempit racers as that meted out on drunk driving, as the mat rempits are a clear and present danger to innocent motorists on public roads and highways.
“Is Wee’s forceful action against drunk driving due to the dictates of his political masters but inaction against mat rempits, which is wanted not by his political masters but by the ordinary rakyat,” asked Lim.
Wee Ka Siong fires back
Lim’s statement managed to capture the attention of Wee who promptly fired back at Lim for getting some figures wrong.
In his own Facebook statement, Wee writes, “Lim Guan Eng is really hopeless now!”
“Not only did he misunderstand Road Safety Advocate and columnist Shahrim Tamrin’s article, but he also falsely quoted some data by saying that 12,000 road fatalities are related to mat rempit. Shahrim had released a statement saying that Lim had misquoted certain data.”
“Unfortunately, when I released a statement a few hours ago to rebute Lim’s statement, he was adamant about his mistake and attacked me for not seeing the 12,000 Road fatalities caused by mat rempit. All I can say is that Lim is being unreasonable,” he wrote.
Wee added that, “If he had suggested a more effective inter-agency enforcement movement, I will absolutely agree with that idea. If it is constructive criticism, I will certainly accept it with a humble heart.”
“However, if Lim just wanted to attack for the sake of attacking me, that is simply being lack of professionalism. No wonder Lim is a former Finance Minister who has failed to prove his credentials as a chartered accountant.”
Should mat rempits face the same punishment as drunk drivers?
Also read: Mother Of Deceased Youth In Penang Illegal Race Says Son Was Caring & Responsible
