Risky rides to school in Nabawan

KOTA KINABALU: Zip-lining or crossing a huge river on a small bamboo raft would seem fun for adrenaline seekers.

But it is not at all funny when pupils in Sabah’s interior Nabawan district have to do it almost daily just to get to school.

Videos going viral show children and adults crossing a river either on a bamboo raft or via a zip-line, with baskets used to transport the youngsters.

It is not clear how long the children have been doing this.

These videos are believed to have been recorded in two different locations in the same district.

In some of the video recordings, the children are seen smiling while others are heard laughing.

However, a regular volunteer and humanitarian activist, Dayang Hayati Fernandez, was of the view that lives are at stake here.

“To them, this may be fun. They may not know the danger. How much longer do they have to endure these types of hardships?” she said in her Facebook page.

Hayati called upon the people to unite and bring such matters to the authorities and to push for immediate action to be taken.

Pensiangan MP Arthur Kurup said he is aware of the situation, adding that this happened as a suspension bridge was damaged by torrential floods recently.

“I have met with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob regarding this and he has approved emergency funds,” he said.

He said technical officers from the district office, among others, visited the affected locations several days ago and had already started filing the necessary reports.

Arthur said in the meantime, he would have a discussion with the local community on what can be done to help the children get to school safely.

State Education Department director Datuk Mistirine Radin said they had submitted a report to the ministry.

She, however, did not want to comment further on it.