Police To Take Action Against Parents Of Reckless Teens Involved In Illegal Night Cycling
22 teenage cyclists were detained for gathering illegally in Johor Bahru recently.
By Tang Ruxyn — 04 Apr 2017, 11:59 AM
It's 3am. Most people should be fast asleep at home, but not this bunch of teenagers who are out on the road, cycling dangerously with their friends.
More than 30 youths had gathered together along Jalan Lingkaran Dalam near the Mahmoodiah Muslim cemetery in Johor Baru on Saturday morning, 1 April.
It is believed that some of them were riding dangerously in illegally modified bicycles, while others were there as spectators.
But the event came to an abrupt end when the police reportedly detained 22 teenagers from the illegal gathering
It was reported the police had issued three warnings to the group but they refused to disperse, so the police went ahead and arrested them during the early morning operation.
Some of the teenagers were quick to escape on foot, however, the police managed to detain the youths, who are aged between 14 and 17. Out of the 22 youths that were detained, two are girls, one of whom is a cyclist.
The police also successfully seized 14 modified "mosquito bikes" at the scene.
According to NST, former national cyclist Nasiruddin Wan Idrus coined the term "mosquito bikes" to refer to the bicycles that are often used in ilegal gatherings, as they're a nuisance like mosquitoes.
These cyclists, dubbed as 'Mat Lajak', seemed to be unaffected by the deadly accident that claimed the lives of eight teenagers two months ago
In February, a fatal accident saw eight teenagers die in the same area after a 22-year-old woman driver hit the group of boys who were cycling during midnight.
The police said that the previous incident "did not teach the families of these cyclists a good lesson".
"They (the teens) are endangering themselves and other road users by taking part in illegal bicycle races on the hilly slopes of Jalan Mahmoodiah just to see who can cross the finish line first," Johor Baru South police chief Assistant Commissioner Sulaiman Salleh told NST.
Although no gambling activity had been detected yet, the police said that they could not dismiss the possibility that bets were placed.
What's rather is surprising is that some of these teenagers' parents appeared to be unconcerned
According to ACP Sulaiman, some parents actually took their own time to pick up their children from the police station.
"When we called their parents, some even told the police to let their children stay in jail and they did not want to come for their child," he was quoted as saying by The Star Online.
The police have issued a stern warning to parents following the latest arrest
"If this happens again, we will go after their parents," Johor police chief Datuk Seri Wan Ahmad Najmuddin Mohd said.
Under Section 33 of the Child Act 2001, a parent can be charged for leaving a child without reasonable supervision. If found guilty, they could face two years’ imprisonment or a maximum RM5,000 fine, or both.
Meanwhile, the teenagers could face a fine up to RM2,000 or a maximum of six months’ jail for illegal vehicle modification.
Do you think the authorities should press charges against parents for negligence? Let us know what you think in the comment section below.