IT is good to know that the authorities plan to act against Mat Rempit, including seizing their vehicles. I want to share what happened to my family at 7am last Thursday.

My car was parked outside my house in SS17, Subang Jaya.

While my wife, sister and I were entering the car, we were attacked by a group of Mat Rempit. There were more than 10 motorcycles, most of them with pillion riders.

The pillion riders split into three groups and attacked us separately.

They seized the handbags and handphones from the women. Then they went for the gold chains and frisked their hands for bangles.

As for me, the only male in the group, a few of them kept me busy with punches and kicks. They were so methodical and calculating that they had earlier detained the newspaper man who was doing his rounds to prevent him from raising the alarm.

We lost two gold chains, two bangles, two handphones and a considerable amount of cash. However, the psychological impact was more severe.

The women can still feel the hands on their necks and the aura of a safe neighbourhood is shattered forever. We are now in a constant state of apprehension and fear.

The following are my observations and suggestions:

- The gang prowled the area a day earlier at the same time and robbed people. Police confirm that reports had been lodged. However, no action was taken to stop the gang.

- A few minutes before we were robbed, they attacked another resident. This resident called the police but no patrol car was sent.

- Immediately after robbing us, they robbed a deaf and mute girl at the Shell station in SS17.

- No efforts were taken to secure the closed-circuit television camera until 1.30pm. If their photographs are available, why were they not shown in the media?

- After being attacked, I called the Subang Jaya police station three times. No response.

- In my report, I said my newspaper man was stopped by this gang from warning us and mentioned the resident who called the police station. No efforts were made by the police to find out their names or addresses. What if identification was required?

These guys are biking, racing, drinking and shooting drugs at night. I would like to see a plan to address the Mat Rempit menace that includes key performance indicators at the national and operational levels.

There is no national plan to address the menace.

This would entail obtaining intelligence on such gangs by surveillance or infiltration.

Tabs should be kept on Mat Rempit.

The plan should include hurting Mat Rempit where it would hurt them the most: impounding their motorcycles (this has been addressed by the inspector-general of police).

AMANJEET SINGH, Subang Jaya

Source: NST – April 30, 2009