GROUPS of youngsters, or ‘basikal lajak’, riding modified bicycles recklessly on the roads said they do this dangerous activity because it gives them freedom and a chance to be away from their broken homes.

Youths who spoke to The Malaysian Insight said this also keeps them away from drugs and other more serious crimes.

Meanwhile, a bicycle repair shop owner argued that these kids should be shown the right alternatives so that they can use their time for better things.

Rafiq, 13, said that he is part of a basikal lajak group because it offers him a sense of freedom.

“My parents constantly argue at home and going out with my friends to ride bicycles gives me an adrenaline rush.

“When I’m with my friends riding bicycles, it makes me forget about everything at home,” Rafiq said.

He also said he understood the risks involved, but he would rather take the risk than witness his parents argue at home.

Meanwhile, another teen who wanted to be known as Haiqal, also 13, said riding basikal lajak with his friends was the only thing he looked forward to doing every day.

“Our parents are always not at home due to work and we do not have anything else to do, so we ride,” he said, adding that he rides with his younger brother.

Haiqal said he wished to have his own video console so that he can play games but unfortunately his parents can’t afford it.

Another teen Danial, 15, said riding basikal lajak was the safest thing he could do because it was not safe for him at him.

“When you come from a low-cost flat area, there is nothing much for a teen like me to be involved in other than drugs. To avoid that, I chose to ride basikal lajak instead.

“My dad was a drug addict and he died, so I don’t want to be like him.

“My mother works night shift in a factory, which leaves me all alone at home so I join my friends to ride at night,” he said.

News about the menace caused by these youngsters has become a hot topic following the Johor Baru High Court decision last week to sentence clerk Sam Ke Ting to six years in prison and a fine of RM6,000 for reckless driving, following the deaths of eight basikal lajak teenagers at 3.20am five years ago.

Social activists have urged authorities to step up enforcement against youngsters riding their modified bicycles recklessly on the roads.

Alliance for Safe Community chairman Lee Lam Thye said enforcement officers should take the youngsters caught in the act back home and hold their parents accountable for their children’s offence.

If necessary, he said, the authorities should call the parents and their children for counselling,

Basikal lajak riders modify their bicycles with shorter handles, lower seats and no brakes to make it easier for them to perform dangerous stunts.

Teaching to make better use of bicycles

Bicycle repair shop owner Akmal Asfar Mutalib said his small shop in Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur, is usually packed with about 60 teenagers on weekends, all looking to get things done for their modified cycles.

Akmal said, while he objects to this pastime, basikal lajak kids should be taught to channel their energy in more productive ways, not punished.

“They need to be educated that it is not all about going fast and trying to live dangerously,” Akmal told The Malaysian Insight when met at his shop.

He also said that most of these youngsters are from broken homes.

“The public and government should realise that these kids are interested in cycling, so we should educate them on how to cycle safely.

“We should encourage them to ride proper bicycles and let them know that it’s not about going fast for a short distance,” Akmal said.

He added that instead of cycling down a hill to find out who’s the fastest, these youngsters should be encouraged to take up long-distance cycling in the right manner.

“Once they do that, they will be addicted to long-distance cycling, which then gives them a different perspective.”

He feared that banning these kids from basikal lajak could drive them to drugs or worse.

Akmal said he uses his earnings to fund free classes to teenagers from the low-income flats in the neighbourhood to become a bicycle mechanic.

“There are about 80 teenagers who participate in this Learn One Teach One programme, which is supported by the AirAsia Foundation.

“Some youngsters have stopped basikal lajak after joining this programme.

“I have also witnessed those who stopped encouraging their friends to give it up as well,” he said. – April 23, 2022.