‘Five-stage car racing series, a boost for local motorsports’

January 26, 2014

Karim gives his thumb-up while seated in the Formula Campus Single Seater Open Wheel Racing car. Also seen are Clifford Tiong (second left), Paul (third left), and Christopher (right).

KUCHING: Auto racing fans across Borneo can get their first taste of sound and speed in the race circuit at the first ever Single Seater Open Wheel Racing Car series to be held in Sarawak.

Borneo International Motorsports (BIM) Sdn Bhd will be organising the AAM Borneo Formula Series 2014 at the International Karting Circuit in Permyjaya, Miri.

Registration of the event is open to all racers in Sarawak, Brunei and Sabah.

The event is supported by Sarawak Automotive Racing Sport Association (Sarsa) and Automobile Association of Malaysia (AAM).

12 Formula Campus Single Seater Open Wheel Racing cars will be imported into Miri for the event.

Assistant Youth Development Minister Datuk Abdul Karim Hamzah said yesterday that the event will be a good start to boost the car racing in Sarawak.

“Sarawak has seen quite a number of motorsports races being held including drag race, motocross and ‘kap cai’ race. And this new racing series will boost the development of motorsports in Sarawak,” he told a media conference at Regency Rajah Court here.

‘Build racing track to stop illegal races’

 July 5, 2012

SIBU: Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah has suggested that a special racing track be built here to get youths away from illegal races.

He was asked on ways to reduce illegal racing among youths yesterday.

However, he said the move would not solve the problem completely.

This is because he believes that when they mature and shoulder more responsibilities, the urge to ‘rempit’ or race on public roads would gradually fizzle out.

“Youths being youths need some avenues to ‘release’ their ‘excess energy’ and many have resorted to illegal racing. A way out would be to prepare a special track for them but even that will not solve the problem.

“A lot of the youths ‘rempit’ or race on public roads just for the thrill of it. But once they reach a certain age where they carry more responsibilities like being a father, family man or when they start working, and have responsibilities to carry, they will slowly phase out that ‘rempit’ life,” the Assistant Minister of Youth Development told The Borneo Post through SMS.

Last Sunday, Sibu police chief ACP Shafie Ismail warned that they would soon mount a full scale operation to shackle illegal racing.