MANY images emerged on social media recently showing young people doing death-defying acrobatics on their basikal lajak (modified bicycles) as well as on cheaper motorbikes known locally as kapcai.

Such postings came to the fore following the recent court sentencing of a woman car driver to six years’ jail and a fine of RM6,000 for reckless driving.

She had an unexpected and unfortunate encounter with basikal lajak riders in the wee hours of the morning in Johor five years ago that resulted in the death of eight teenagers.

The acrobatics flaunted by the young cyclists had predictably evoked shock, horror and anger among those who viewed the photos and video clips concerned as they feared for the safety of the cyclists as well as other road users. 

Incidents such as the Johor tragedy has led many concerned Malaysians to heap blame on the basikal lajak riders, their parents as well as the driver concerned. A few also apportioned the blame to the society as a whole.

That said, this commentary confines itself to only trying to understand why such a phenomenon exists and persists in our society. Not seeking who should be blamed for the tragedy here does not necessarily mean that we directly or otherwise endorse such dangerous pursuit.

An interview conducted by The Malaysian Insight with a few of the lajak cyclists recently provided a clue of why they resorted to such acrobatics on the road despite the dangers they courted and consequent peril they could inflict on others, as well as them going against the law. 

For one thing, the basikal lajak enthusiasm among some of the cyclists must be viewed against their socio-economic background.

A few of the riders, for example, came from broken homes where their parents are in constant quarrels so that racing perilously on the road offers them the much-needed escapism and freedom.

Moreover, the small flats or houses in which they live do not provide enough physical space where they could find refuge away from their  noisy parental exchanges, if not domestic violence. It is not conducive to peaceful co-existence.

As a result, many of the teenagers feel compelled to go out of their homes to release tension in a way that is affordable and “thrilling” to them.

Some, as revealed in the interview, resorted to basikal lajak as an alternative to drug taking or serious crime, which finds fertile ground in such a social environment.

At a young age where the adrenaline level gets high easily, playing games such as football, badminton, sepak takraw and also normal cycling would have been a healthy pursuit.

It is unfortunate, however, that some, if not many, low-cost flats do not have fields or adequate playgrounds. The ground floor has physical space for such games as badminton, but it is often taken up by scores of parked motorcycles and cars.

Children of single mothers find themselves having to fend for themselves when their mothers work the night shift at nearby factories. Similarly, there are cases of both parents working, with no adults attending to their children at home. 

Basikal lajak becomes an exciting temptation for the teenagers concerned, especially when they do not have anything, like a video game console, to keep them occupied at home. 

This is, of course, not to provide excuses for some other parents who presumably are capable of taking care of their children and yet commit dereliction of duty. 

Stacked against poverty, poor educational attainment and domestic violence to boot, a few of these teenagers may see no hope for a better future.

It is conceivable that consequently they become rebellious to the extent that riding such modified bicycles – or for that matter, modified kapcai – is taken as a form of defiance against the system, especially one that is seen to be unjust. 

Perhaps the takeaway from this basikal lajak phenomenon is that, for example, the authorities should see to it that low-cost flats and other such housing schemes are equipped with public facilities that would cater to the needs of the young residents.

Community rooms or halls in low-cost housing schemes could provide activities such as storytelling, writing and singing competitions or even martial arts for the young, as an example. The Women, Family and Community Development Ministry may want to play a useful role in this regard. 

Or, community leaders may want to organise inspirational talks for the young pertaining to, say, education and the profession. 

This is apart from strict law enforcement against illegal racing on public roads.

Unless we seek the underlying causes, it is likely that there would still be a lot of young people racing with rage and fearlessness on the road. – April 27, 2022.