The viral videos of illegal motorcycle riders turning Sultan Ismail Petra Airport’s brand-new departure hall into a racing circuit have sent shockwaves across Malaysia.
But as public outrage mounts, a Kelantan state assemblyman is urging the nation not to tar the state’s entire youth population with the same brush.
A new airport, a new problem
The newly operational departure hall at Sultan Ismail Petra Airport (LTSIP) in Pengkalan Chepa had barely had time to celebrate its opening before an unwelcome problem emerged — illegal motorcycle racers, colloquially known as mat rempit, were reported to have been using the terminal’s upper-level drop-off flyover as a racing circuit, alarming airport users and the surrounding community.
The activity is understood to have begun during Ramadan 2026 and continued until April 3, when airport users uploaded footage to social media, triggering widespread public attention.
The videos showed riders performing wheelies, hard braking, and riding against traffic flow — all inside what is meant to be a busy passenger zone.
Security guard Fattah, 40, noted that the group would mock him when told to stop, saying he had no authority to arrest them.
Don’t generalise, says State Exco
Kelantan’s Exco for Youth, Sports, NGOs and Community Harmony, Zamakhshari Muhamad, who also serves as the assemblyman for Apam Putra, issued an official statement responding to the incident, pushing back against the sweeping characterisation of Kelantan’s young people.
“The Kelantan State Government views seriously the issue of unhealthy activities involving a small number of youths at the LTSIP area, Pengkalan Chepa, which recently went viral on social media,” he said.
Any behaviour that endangers public safety cannot be compromised and must be firmly addressed through enforcement action by the authorities.”
However, he stressed that the issue should not be viewed narrowly.
“The State Government is of the view that this issue should not be seen in a narrow manner or generalised to the point of reflecting the entirety of Kelantan’s youth.”
The reality is that the majority of young people in this state are active in education, sports, entrepreneurship and various positive self-development programmes.”
A three-pronged approach
Zamakhshari outlined a comprehensive, three-pronged strategy to tackle the issue — going beyond mere enforcement.
On enforcement, he confirmed that the state government is working closely with the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM), JPJ, and MAHB to support continuous enforcement operations in high-risk areas, with regular monitoring to ensure public safety is maintained.
On youth development, he said the state will expand programmes focused on character building, skills, and leadership, including initiatives under the Kelantan Future Leaders Institute (KFLI), the Anak Muda Rakan Al-Quran (AMRAQ) programme, and various grassroots youth and sports activities under the Youth and Sports Secretariat (UBES).
Youth platforms at the state and community level will also be activated as spaces for positive engagement, in collaboration with the Department of Youth and Sports.
On alternative facilities and recreational activities, Zamakhshari said the state is working to gazette government land as a motocross sports site in Mukim Sokor, Tanah Merah — providing youths with a safer, more controlled space for motorcycling.
Family recreational facilities will also be improved across the state, and the government will continue to support healthy motorsport events such as RXZ Forever Legend and Mat Motor Day.
A shared responsibility
Zamakhshari emphasised that solving this social issue cannot fall on the government alone.
“Social issues such as this require the cooperation of all parties including parents, educational institutions, the community and the youths themselves.”
“The building of values, discipline and responsibility must be strengthened so that every individual understands the limits of freedom and respects public safety and the public interest.”
He concluded with a clear message: “This issue must be handled wisely and focused on long-term solutions, not through labelling or perceptions that do not help in building the future generation.”
