LAST Saturday, Malaysians woke up to horrific news. Eight teenagers were killed while two were in critical condition when a car rammed into them at 3am. Six others were also injured in the terrible accident along the Middle Ring Road in Johor Baru.
A lot of questions were raised: Was the car speeding? Was the driver under the influence of alcohol? But the question asked most was: Why were the young teenagers cycling in the middle of the road in the wee hours of the morning?
A few days later, more information surfaced. Apparently, they were part of a joyride group that met weekly in the area. They came from as far as tens of kilometres away and gathered for some fun riding and racing. Most of their bikes were heavily modified.
This has been going on for years, according to local residents. Sometimes, the teenagers turned aggressive if their routines were disturbed.
Reports also emerged that some parents were aware of the teenagers’ activities. But they failed to stop them and many have given up trying.
Even the police have failed to disperse the teenagers as they will quickly regroup once the police are gone.
All these point to a strong attraction that is hard to shake off. Out of all the comments on the tragedy, I like the one written by Arnaz M. Khairul the most, as published in NST on Feb 19.
He calls these teen cyclists basikal nyamuk (literally, mosquito bikes).
Apparently, it’s a passion shared by many children across the country, especially those from the lower income group.
They would unleash their creativity and use scrap materials to create their own mean machines.
The advent of these mosquito bike groups used to plague Terengganu’s roads a decade ago. According to Arnaz, there were gangs of children who rode their bespoke bicycles across the State.
For example, he wrote, the Sek Hijau (Green Gang) from Kuala Terengganu rode 70km to Dungun and back just so that
they could rival Sek Oren (Orange Gang) and vice-versa.
Fortunately, the authorities took a positive and pragmatic approach by taking in and guiding these children to adopt a healthier cycling habit. Mosquito bike races were also organised in the State, getting the children off the streets.
What a noble and great approach. The result speaks for itself. Today, Terengganu is the undisputed champion for local cycling races. Big names such as Azizulhasni Awang and Anuar Manan hail from this State.
“There was even once a ‘kingpin’ of illegal mosquito bike racing in Kuala Terengganu who turned professional cyclist — Nor Umardi Rosdi,” Arnaz wrote.
Clearly, these children have demonstrated creativity and passion. Yes, 3am isn’t the time for anyone, let alone children, to be roaming the streets. But without any guidance and options, they may not know better.
We have so many talents in the country but the real tragedy is to waste their potential through lack of coordination and opportunities. May this incident trigger a positive change for these mosquito bike teenagers.
Smart Parenting
Zaid Mohamad coaches and trains parents to experience happier homes and more productive workplaces. Reach him at zaid@smartparents.
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