The sky’s the limit for Malacca’s Mat Rempit

(The Star) MALACCA: The state has issued a challenge to youth nationwide especially Mat Rempit to take to the skies in a micro-light aircraft.

To make good the challenge, the state via Tabung Yayasan Melaka, is offering RM6,000 loans to those interested in obtaining their micro-light aircraft pilot licence here with the 4B Youth Movement flying club based in Sungai Rambai, Jasin.

“I hope the Mat Rempit will take up the offer and learn how to fly an aircraft instead of racing illegally on the roads and getting themselves killed,” Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Rustam said when opening the Malacca Air Carnival yesterday.

He said the loan offer was open to all Malaysians, particularly youth interested in learning how to fly the micro-light aircraft as a hobby.

The club, he said, had trained about 70 youth since its inception in 1997, with them getting licences to fly solo after undergoing 30 hours of flight training.

“We are looking at simplifying the training programme. In New Zealand, for example, one is given a licence after only five hours of basic flight training.”

He also took the Youth and Sports Ministry to task, saying it had failed to provide funds to help promote aviation sports among the youth.

It should emulate Singapore’s practice where the Government provided an annual grant of S$5mil (RM12mil) to help train Cessna pilots, he said.