MIRI: A young motorcyclist who pulled a dangerous wheelie on the streets of Miri has been jailed, fined and stripped of his driving rights in a ruling aimed at sending a strong message to would-be road hooligans.
The 20-year-old local was caught red-handed during a police street racing crackdown on Aug 24.
The evening sweep, which ran from 5 pm to 9 pm, saw a team of senior officers and 12 personnel from Miri Traffic Enforcement comb Jalan Marina, Jalan Luak Esplanade and the Miri Bypass for so-called ‘samseng jalanan’ (road thugs).
The rider was arrested after he was seen balancing his motorcycle on one wheel, endangering himself and other motorists.
He was charged under Section 42(1) of the Road Transport Act 1987 for reckless and dangerous driving. Police seized his machine on the spot.
On Oct 2, the Miri Magistrates’ Court handed down a sentence of one day in jail, a RM6,000 fine and a five-year ban on applying for a driving licence.
Police condemned the stunt as “a serious offence that can put lives at risk”, warning that such behaviour would not be tolerated.
“This punishment should serve as a wake-up call, not just for the offender but for anyone thinking of flouting traffic laws,” police said in a statement.
Authorities pledged to intensify their clampdown on reckless riders and urged the public to blow the whistle on illegal racing by contacting Miri police operations at 085-433400.
