Stop pointing fingers at teenagers involved in ‘basikal lajak’ – crime analyst

MELAKA: The attitude of various parties in pointing fingers at teenagers involved in basikal lajak (modified bicycle) activities should stop as it is not a solution to treat the social problem.

A crime analyst and community leaders when met by Bernama supported the view put up by the Youth and Sports Minister Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman recently that the young people involved should be guided and not punished to become useful members of society and country.

Malaysian Crime Prevention Foundation (MCPF) vice-chairman, Kamal Affandi Hashim said members of the public should not be quick to blame others while not offering any alternatives as a way out for the teenagers involved.

“About four months ago, several MCPF colleagues and I with Universiti Perguruan Sultan Idris (UPSI) have drafted a module to assist these teenagers.

“We are going to organise ‘Basikal Lajak 1.0’ to approach and lead the teenagers involved in basikal lajak in the middle of next month,” he told Bernama yesterday.

He said the three-day programme which would be participated by about 50 teenagers would focus on sharing bicycle racing aerodynamics and engineering, building own bicycle and awareness on the risks of getting involved in modified bicycle racing.

Kamal Affandi said what they are attempting is to work on the behavioural modification of such teenagers to wean them of the unproductive activity to a better hobby which gives them a future as professional cyclists or to become racing engineers and so on.

“A formal event will not solve the problem of basikal lajak...we need to talk in their lingo to gain their acceptance before imbuing greater awareness among the teenagers,” he said.

Sharing this view was Melaka State Sports Council (SSC) director Arrifin Mohd Ghani who also agreed with Syed Saddiq’s statement that the teenagers involved in basikal lajak should be guided so that they become an asset to the country one day.

“Based on the existing facilities... we maybe able to shape these youngsters as potential national athletes as they have the values of a racing cyclist such as bravery and speed,” he said.

Arrifin said while staying away from dangerous and unproductive activities, these teenagers could be guided to join cycling competition organised by NSC, the state government or even sport associations to show their capabilities.

Meanwhile, State Communications, Multimedia, NonGovernmental Organisation, Youth Development and Sports, Kerk Chee Yee said the state government is sensitive to the phenomenon of basikal lajak taking place in the country and is discussing ways to save Melaka youngsters from getting involved in this social ill.

“I hope teenagers would be wise to choose sports and stay away from dangers of riding modified bicycles and so on,” he said.

He said these youngsters in basikal lajak are not only putting themselves in danger but they are also endangering other road users.