This happens whenever they allow their children to ride motorcycles to school without a licence or without crash helmets.

Road Safety Department director-general Datuk Suret Singh called on parents and teachers to promote road safety among the children.

The Youth Research and Development Institute of Malaysia and the Psychology Research and Development Centre of Malaysia had reports that show that 87 per cent of Mat Rempit come from the 14-25 age group.

"A Mat Rempit is not 'born' at the age of 18 or 19. He is 'born' as young as 9," Suret said after launching the Genting Children's Helmet Campaign here recently.

The campaign is aimed at educating and creating aware- ness among pupils on road safety rules and regulations.

Initiated by Resorts World Bhd with the collaboration of the Transport Ministry, Education Ministry, Road Safety Department and the Road Safety Marshal Club, the year-long campaign would select 500 students in each of nine states to educate them on various safety practices.

Also present were Resorts World executive director Tan Sri Alwi Jantan, Ampang Jaya police chief Assistant Commissioner Abdul Jalil Hassan and Ampang Jaya traffic chief Deputy Superintendent Nordin Mahmud.

Suret said that relying on enforcement alone would not be enough to effectively enhance road safety practices and standards.

He said education should be the backbone of the country's effort to promote road safety practice standard whereas enforcement should only be used as a supplementary measure.

"Should we continue on this education path, I believe that Malaysia's road safety standard can reach a world-class level and the accident rate can be reduced in 10 years."

Later, Jalil warned that any student caught riding a motorcycle without a licence and his parents could each be fined RM300.

"In a recent police operation in the Ampang Jaya district, we have caught six underage motorcyclists riding their machine without licences.

"The six and their parents have been fined."

Jalil said police would continue working with schools to promote road safety practices.

Nordin said parents should know better than to say they thought it was all right to let their children, who have no licences to ride motorcycles near their homes. Accidents can happen even near homes, said Jalil.

"Parents must realise that it is wrong to allow their children to ride motorcycles without licences."