KUALA LUMPUR, March 23 — Police checks on motorcycles equipped with modified exhaust pipes are to ensure they do not cause a nuisance to the public, said Tan Sri Abdul Hamid Bador today.
The Inspector-General of Police denied claims that checks against these motorcyclists were being done out of spite and to burden the people, explaining that action was being taken after numerous complaints from members of the public.
“I have to make it clear that the PDRM (Royal Malaysian Police) is not out to collect money from these checks, but we are doing it for the safety of all road users and motor vehicle owners.
“There are those who said PDRM are being insensitive by conducting these checks and issuing summons to the people during a time when everyone is strapped for cash.
“What I have to say is money can always be found or earned, but once you are dead or seriously injured, then what are you going to do?” he exclaimed.
Abdul Hamid then explained that those usually affected by the nuisance of these modified exhausts were those living in housing areas, apartment blocks and low-cost housing units.
“People have complained that it disrupts the harmony of their neighbourhood,” he said.
He also revealed how those usually caught with these modified parts are in their 20s and 30s.
He said most of the time, these individuals are employed and have extra cash to spare, adding the exhaust pipe modifications can cost between RM200 and RM2,000.
Also present during the press conference at Bukit Aman today were 15 local motorcycle racers from the Kuala Lumpur Motor Sports Association, who were on hand to debunk myths behind the supposed increase in performance from modified exhausts.
Wazi Abdul Hamid, a former Cup Prix racer, explained that research had shown how modified exhaust pipes in motorcycles do not offer a significant increase in performance.
“For machines that generate around 15 horsepower, the exhaust is mainly there to control the temperature, and for the compounds released during the combustion to escape.
“If you have a 125cc motorcycle and you add a big bore exhaust pipe, it will not give you any added power at all. There is no study that proves this; it is all a deception.
“The only thing that will increase the speed is by modifying parts of the engine,” said Wazi.
Abdul Hamid then revealed “worrying” statistics of road accidents nationwide, where more than 60 per cent of all fatal accidents throughout 2019 and 2020 involved those on motorcycles.
When compared as a whole, about 25 per cent or 89,142 out of the 418,237 road accidents reported last year involved at least a motorcycle, with 4,297 of those accidents turning out to be fatal for at least one motorist.
In 2020 alone, Abdul Hamid said 3,207 motorcyclists were killed in road accidents, from some 3,142 fatal road accidents.
From January to February this year, he said a total of 59,086 incidents were reported, and 9,799 or 17 per cent of those accidents involved motorcyclists.
From that figure, 476 of those turned out to be fatal accidents, with 483 motorcyclists killed from the collisions.
“Despite all the programmes, seminars and roadshows that we have conducted, all the advice we have given to motorists, especially motorcyclists, the case numbers keep on increasing and this is worrying,” he said.
