‘Ensure safety of students and teachers’

In need for a revamp: The collapsed section of the jetty at Pulau Pababag.

KOTA KINABALU: The Education Ministry must consider building proper concrete jetties for students and teachers commuting to 11 schools on islands in Sabah’s east coast Semporna district.

Sulabayan assemblyman Datuk Jaujan Sambakong said such facilities should be provided for schools on the islands as taking a boat was the only means of transport for islanders.

“I am asking the government, especially the Education Department, to build concrete jetties or bridges specifically for the use of pupils, students and teachers who teach in the islands in the Sulabayan constituency,” Jaujan said in response to Monday’s incident where about 25 primary school and kindergarten children fell into the sea when a village jetty gave way at Pulau Pababag.

All of the 11 primary and one secondary schools in the Sulabayan constituency are located on islands.

In the jetty collapse incident, two students were lightly injured while the rest were hauled up to safety by teachers and villagers.

The students were heading to school.

Jaujan, who is Parti Warisan vice-president, said schools around the islands in the Semporna parliamentary constituency need to be equipped with better piers for the comfort of the students and teachers.

He said many teachers shuttle back and forth between the islands and Semporna town on the mainland due to insufficient accommodation facilities on the islands.

“There is no problem with the existing piers in the villages but it is only appropriate that a concrete bridge or pier be built especially for the use of pupils, students and teachers only.

“The bridge that collapsed is a village bridge used by students to go to school on the other side of Pulau Pababag as there is a lack of road network within the island.

“I hope the relevant ministry will seriously consider building a concrete jetty and bridge like other basic school infrastructure built on the mainland,” he added.

Meanwhile, Jaujan said Warisan was helping the villagers of Kampung Pababag to repair the collapsed jetty through a gotong-royong.

“Only part of the bridge fell and this needs to be repaired,” he said.

The Education Ministry on Monday said it would be discussing with the local authorities to build safe jetties for the schoolchildren’s use.