Why have we not learnt any lessons?

Dangerous: ‘Basikal lajak’ confiscated in the wee hours in Kulai, Johor, a few years ago. Yet today, we still have teens riding such bikes. — Filepic/The Star

THE comments from the anguished father of a boy who survived the 2017 accident that killed eight teenage cyclists in Johor Baru speak volumes against the “basikal lajak” (modified bicycles) craze (“Mission to stop Mat Lajak”, Sunday Star, April 17; online at bit.ly/star_lajak).

The case of motorist Sam Ke Ting convicted by the High Court for reckless driving and causing the teens’ deaths has generated national interest, with many using social media to express their sympathy and support for Sam.

The court case aside, the tragic event has once again brought into sharp focus questions concerning road safety, parental responsibility, law enforcement and common sense.

The first question that leaps to mind is why are teenagers drawn to the basikal lajak craze? The answer is simple: It is a natural consequence of needing thrills to expend pent-up energies, and even perhaps kill boredom. The next question is this: Does the end justify the means? The simple answer is: Certainly not, especially if the methods used are harmful to others.

It has been proven time and again that teenagers resorting to these pastimes are a danger to themselves and others and an unnecessary drain on law enforcement resources.

When they are a danger to themselves, the responsibility lies with their parents to ensure their safety. If, then, parents do not exercise their responsibility, shouldn’t they be held accountable?

It’s no use crying over spilt milk and too late to close the barn door after the horse has bolted. We need preventive measures now. And this starts with parents.

Perhaps law enforcers should consider hauling parents to court if their children behave in ways that put themselves and others at risk.

When some parents were asked why they did not discipline their recalcitrant children, the answer was to avoid causing them stress. Is it better to avoid giving them stress but put their lives in danger instead? Then there are the fatalistic parents, and of them the less said the better.

To compound the danger of riding in the dark in the wee hours, the teenagers also modify their bikes in very unsafe ways. Isn’t this a wake-up call for accidents waiting to happen?

Why is law enforcement in the case of mat rempit and basikal lajak weak when we have enhanced enforcement in cases of drink driving and the non-use of seat belts and helmets?

What does this say about our law enforcement?

What about the responsibility of our educators? Are the right values being emphasised as part of the school curriculum?

What about the bicycle workshops that make illegal and dangerous modifications, including removing brakes? Why are the authorities not taking action against them when they are abetting mat lajak activities?

There are those who feel that it is not right to blame the parents and the answer lies in educating them and their kids. To the best of my knowledge, many awareness campaigns by government agencies and NGOs have been carried out in the past. But the response has always been slow. If continuous education fails to bring about the desired result, then stringent enforcement is the next obvious choice.

Ultimately, we must get rid of the “hangat-hangat tahi ayam” culture plaguing our society that will only result in more accidents and disasters. (The Malay idiom refers to being committed to something for a short time only, or a lack of will to follow through.)

After all the hue and cry over a tragedy, no solutions are found, reports and recommendations are not made public and lessons are not learnt. So the situation will simmer down and be forgotten until the next big tragedy.

TAN SRI LEE LAM THYE

Chairman

Alliance for a Safe Community