[VIDEO] A Mat Rempit Was Invited To Speak At KL School & Netizens Are Furious
In May, National Unity Deputy Minister Wan Ahmad Fayhsal Wan Ahmad Kamal hailed the self-identified mat rempit, who requires a stick to walk after an accident in 2020, as an "icon".
A video showing a self-identified mat rempit giving a talk at a school in Kuala Lumpur has infuriated Malaysians online, with many questioning the purpose of inviting such a questionable figure to the campus
The 20-second video was uploaded by Haqiem Stopa on TikTok yesterday, 6 July, and it shows him visiting SMK Sungai Besi while being surrounded by students.
He is seen talking on stage with a microphone as hundreds of students are seated on the floor listening.
The video also shows him walking with a stick on campus and having photo ops with fellow students.
Image via @Haqiem_stopa (TikTok)
Image via @Haqiem_stopa (TikTok)
At the time of writing, the video has received over three million views and 287,000 likes on TikTok
Haqiem has 870,000 and 273,000 followers on TikTok and Instagram, respectively.
The 22-year-old also runs a 135,000-subscriber YouTube channel, which includes a video of himself joyriding on public roads while performing the infamous 'Superman' pose.
He often talks about motorcycle modifications and how fast they can go on the channel, admitting in a video with mStar that one of his bikes can go up to 180km/h.
In one YouTube video, he revealed that his left leg was broken following an accident in early 2020 and he requires a stick or crutch to walk now.
Image via HaqiemStopa (YouTube)
After the video went viral, many netizens criticised SMK Sungai Besi for inviting a mat rempit to school grounds, questioning how Haqiem could impart valuable learnings to young minds
"Why on earth did SMK Sungai Besi invite a Mat Rempit as a guest?" tweeted @Elill_E, a journalist at The Malaysian Insight.
"In April, three boys aged between 15 and 16 were killed due to riding motorcycles. Also, a 14-year-old was arrested under 'Ops Samseng Jalan' for involving in mat rempit activities."
On Facebook, a superbike seller, Kuro Bikeseller, asked the school on what grounds was Haqiem invited to give a talk to impressionable minds.
"Is he great in academics, entrepreneurship, or the motoring world? I don't agree that people like this should be given the opportunity to speak in front of the next generation," read the viral post with over 3,900 shares.
"People like this should be ignored, not given attention. I've been holding back from posting about this snotty kid for a long time. I got this video today (5 July) and it was the last straw."
"I don't care if you want to show your stupidity. But for (him to influence others), I disagree."
On 25 May, Haqiem was invited to the office of National Unity Deputy Minister Wan Ahmad Fayhsal Wan Ahmad Kamal, where he was hailed as the "icon in the motorcycle world" among the youth
The invite and Wan Ahmad's description of Haqiem were met with disdain among Malaysians as many were not happy to see a mat rempit labeled as an "icon".
The post was still available on Wan Ahmad's Facebook profile this morning, 6 July, but has since been taken down. Wan Ahmad is a member of Bersatu.
Previously, retired national motorcycle racing legend Affendi Rosli also questioned who Haqiem was and how a 22-year-old could be called an "icon" when he did not compete in professional races nor represent the country.
Affendy then challenged the young man to a race to prove his "icon" status. He added that even after racing professionally for 17 years, he is still not an icon.
SAYS has reached out to SMK Sungai Besi and the Ministry of Education and is awaiting a response from them.
Watch Haqiem's visit to the school here:
Catch up on the latest news on SAYS:
Leave a comment