"We Didn't Teach Anyone How To Ride Motorcycles" – Mat Rempit Clarifies His School Visit
Haqiem Stopa said he was invited to SMK Sungai Besi to talk about second chances.
By Yap Wan Xiang — 06 Jul 2022, 07:44 PM
Following the backlash of his appearance at a school in Kuala Lumpur, self-identified mat rempit Haqiem Stopa clarified that he did not teach students how to ride motorcycles during his visit
Speaking to SAYS, Haqiem refuted claims that he visited SMK Sungai Besi to teach teenagers about riding motorcycles that can make them "fly".
Instead, he was invited to talk about second chances.
"I was invited (to the school) by Project Belia Mahir. Project Belia Mahir is a non-governmental organisation (NGO) that looks for jobs for people," he said.
"At the same time, Project Belia Mahir is also involved in (programmes that aim to) motivate students and give them second chances. For example, students who fail Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) will still get a shot at being successful."
The NGO was founded by Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin when he was the deputy prime minister in 2010.
Haqiem said he received help from Project Belia Mahir after suffering from cyberbullying. He now sells clothes and runs other small businesses.
The 22-year-old said he did not expect anyone to recognise him, but understood that he did have followers of his own
Haqiem reiterated that his purpose there was to convey his journey as a person faced with failure but said that there are always second chances.
"We convey the message about the background of a person who suffered from failures — which is me — and faced cyberbullying, and (also talked about) second chances," he said.
"We didn't teach anyone how to ride motorcycles, play with motorcycles, or teach them how to 'fly' (on motorcycles) as stated in the media."
"We shared about a person who has failed in life yet stood back up again with great enthusiasm and hard work (in order to) build a career to help our mothers, fathers, and the future."
He also questioned whether a person should be judged based on his 'beginning' and his 'end'. Haqiem said he still has motorcycles and is still invested in them.
"But interest in motorcycles does not necessarily 100% mean dangerous activity. Mat rempit, in the eyes of the public, has many different opinions and views. There are also mat rempit and mat moto who are successful in Malaysia," he said when asked whether he still rides dangerously on public roads.
Haqiem is seen performing the infamous 'Superman' stunt while riding on a motorcycle in a YouTube video.
Image via HaqiemStopa (YouTube)When asked about his visit to the office of National Unity Deputy Minister Wan Ahmad Fayhsal Wan Ahmad Kamal, Haqiem said the Bersatu leader wanted to know why he has a big social media influence
"I was invited to meet the Deputy Minister of National Unity for an introductory session because he wanted to know why Haqiem Stopa has a strong influence on social media platforms," he said.
"And he saw in me that I have the potential to spread positive things on social media. Allah gave me something special. I don't have much money but I have a huge following and I can deliver many positive things to the youth."
National Unity Deputy Minister Wan Ahmad Fayhsal Wan Ahmad Kamal and Haqiem.
Image via @haqiemstopa (TikTok)The controversy surrounding Haqiem became a hot topic after he posted a video of himself visiting the school in Kuala Lumpur
The self-identified mat rempit has more than one million followers on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube combined.
Many netizens questioned the purpose of his visit to the school as he has a video on YouTube that shows him joyriding on public roads while performing the infamous 'Superman' stunt.
He often talks about motorcycle modifications and how fast they can go on his YouTube channel, admitting in a video with mStar that one of his bikes can go up to 180km/h.
In his first video on YouTube, he revealed that his left leg was broken following an accident in early 2020, resulting in him requiring a stick or crutch to walk now.
