EACH week, about 40 teenagers, most of them riders of the notorious basikal lajak, pack a small bicycle repair shop in Kuala Lumpur run by a man who objects to their hobby.

Akmal Asfar Mutalib disagrees with what these adolescents are doing with their bicycles, but he knows that alienating them is not going to sway them away from their dangerous past time.

Instead of brushing them aside, he organises a weekly class to teach them basic repairs and maintenance.

The risks surrounding the “basikal lajak” teen culture resurfaced following a Johor Baru court ruling last month on the deaths of eight teenagers rode modified bicycles.

The eight were killed when a sales assistant rammed into them while they were riding on a dark hilly road at 3am.

Basikal lajak riders would modify their bicycles to have shorter handles, seats and no brakes so as to make it easier for them to perform dangerous stunts.

Seeing how the basikal lajak culture is alive and well, despite the wide publicity surrounding the case, Akmal decided it was better to harnesses their interest and channel that energy into safer and positive rides.

Although the death of the eight received wide attention, the interest in basikal lajak and demand for bicycle parts continue to rise, said Akmal.

“I don’t support their basikal lajak and whenever they want to buy components from me, I ask them not to use them in their basikal lajak,” Akmal told The Malaysian Insight when met at his shop in Bangsar.

“I disagree with the hobby but I put my objections aside because I want to connect with them, teach and guide them rather just simply forbid them.”

He uses the earnings from another public bicycle repair class to fund the special free class dedicated to teenagers from the low-income flats in the neighbourhood.

The class, called Parktool School, teaches basic bicycle repair and maintenance. It is also supported by the AirAsia Foundation.

“The class is once a week and they come after school. They all have the skills and interest but they lack someone to guide them.

“Some are naughty but they have the potential to change. If they are just left to themselves, who knows what they’ll get up to.”

Next year, he plans to expand the classes to other low-income housing projects in the city with the help of Kuala Lumpur City Hall.

“We want to connect with these kids through bicycle vending machines kiosks and classes so that we can learn more about them.”

Ban not the solution

Despite the negative publicity, another bicycle shop owner Azrul Affendy Adenan, refutes the perception that these teens are delinquents.

Azrul Affendy, who also runs community programmes with local basikal lajak riders in Kg Nakhoda, Selayang, said the children are just looking for a way to express their youthful energy.

“Coincidentally, the basikal lajak trend is hot so many take up the hobby.”

Azrul organises local races and cycling tours involving teens to channel their interest and energy into safer rides.

“By getting them involved in races, it helps to get them off the streets,” he told The Malaysian Insight.

Like his Bangsar counterpart Akmal, Azrul advises the children who buy bike parts from his shop to ride safely.

Both believe that a heavy handed approach of banning the bicycles will not solve the problem of children getting killed on their basikal lajak.

The wiser approach, they said, is to connect with them and provide ways in which they can pursue their hobby safely, such as in Johor.

“In Johor, the state government identifies these kids and channels their interest in bicycle in more meaningful ways.” – November 29, 2019.