A viral video circulating on X showed groups believed to be mat rempit gathered at the passenger drop-off area of Kelantan’s newly opened Sultan Ismail Petra Airport (LTSIP) terminal in Pengkalan Chepa, drawing public discomfort and questions about how motorcycles were allowed to linger so long in a zone that should be under strict supervision.
But for Fattah, a 40 year old security guard stationed at the airport, the scene was nothing new.
Every night, after iftar
Speaking to Sinar Harian, Fattah said the activity had been going on since the new departure hall opened in early March, on the first day of Ramadan.
“Every night, as soon as the time to break fast is over, young people, regardless of gender, would fill this area on motorcycles,” he said. “They turn this place into a racing circuit. Some do wheelies, hard braking, go against traffic, and all sorts of other stunts.”
According to Fattah, between 40 and 50 motorcycles would gather in front of the departure hall every night, performing dangerous manoeuvres in full view of airport users.
He added that it wasn’t just the departure area, the riders would move between the upper and lower levels of the terminal, treating the entire building like a track.
Mocked when he tried to intervene
Fattah said that every time he tried to stop them, they would push back and mock him for being a security guard without the authority to detain or take action.
The airport management had reported the problem to police multiple times, he said. When police came to patrol, the riders would scatter briefly, only to return.
“When the police come to patrol, they run for a while. Then they come back without any fear.”
He also pointed out that the noise from the motorcycles made it difficult for airport users to even speak on the phone, and said the behaviour could hurt Kelantan’s image among tourists and visitors.
Not every motorcycle is a mat rempit
Fattah was careful to note that not every motorcycle parked near the departure hall belonged to the group. Some riders, he said, were food delivery workers waiting for orders.
During Sinar Harian’s own visit to the airport between 7pm and 9pm, the mat rempit did not appear as they usually would. Police and JPJ vehicles had begun regular patrols of the area after the video went viral.
A bigger picture for LTSIP
The incident comes at a significant moment for the airport. Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has announced plans to extend LTSIP’s runway by 400 metres, a move that would qualify it for international flight status and enable direct Hajj and Umrah flights from Kelantan to Saudi Arabia.
The expanded terminal is part of a broader RM440 million project and features more than 20 airline check-in counters, a multi-storey car park, dedicated taxi lanes and additional aerobridges, one of Kelantan’s largest recent infrastructure investments.
Which makes the scene on the flyover, every night after iftar, all the more striking.
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