A 16-year-old who claims he was knocked off his motorbike by a road safety official in northern Malaysia has received a bicycle from the government — as a reminder that he should stick to pedal power until he gets a driving licence.
Muhammad Taufik Meh was riding without a helmet or a licence on January 17 when he sped through a village checkpoint manned by the Road Transport Department in the state of Perlis, according to the national news agency Bernama.
Villagers allege that an officer hurled a chair at the young man, causing him to crash in a heap. Officials denied a chair was thrown, though villagers beat up two of them in retaliation, Bernama reported.
Muhammad Taufik was hospitalised with head injuries and his family is threatening legal action against the Road Transport Department unless it pays 130 000 ringgit ($34 700) in compensation.
On Tuesday Perlis Chief Minister Shahidan Kassim gave the boy a bicycle so he can commute between home and school, a distance of 10km, Bernama reported.
It quoted Muhammad Taufik as saying that the checkpoint incident had taught him ”a valuable lesson” and he would get on a motorcycle again only after getting his licence — and that he would always use a helmet.
Shahidan said the gift was meant as a donation to a poor family, not as encouragement to a traffic offender.
He also advised the young man’s family that any legal action should be taken out of pure motives, not to take advantage of the situation.
Malaysians are eligible to apply for a motorcycle licence at 16 years of age and a car licence at 18. – Sapa-AP