No schoolwear? No worries

Making do: SK Tengku Ampuan Intan pupil Salahuddin Ayuubi Shukri attending school in casual clothes as his house was hit by floods in Terengganu. — Bernama

Compiled by ARFA YUNUS AND C.ARUNO

ELEVEN-YEAR-OLD Muhammad Syafik Ikram Mazlan was initially disheartened about going to school as his school supplies were damaged during the floods in Rantau Panjang, Kelantan.

But he got into a better mood when his teachers told him that there would be flexibility in the school attire, Berita Harian reported.

“Almost half of my classmates are flood victims, so we decided to wear T-shirts and slippers to school,” he said.

A majority of those who turned up for classes at his school were not in uniform as they had been damaged by the floods.

Muhammad Syafik said his school uniforms and bag had been covered by mud.

“Fortunately, I managed to save my books and stationery,” he said, adding that his father Mazlan Abd Samad, 54, had to buy a new bag for him.

Muhammad Syafik’s mother Noriah Yusof, 48, said she is thankful to the school and Education Ministry for allowing flexibility in the school attire.

“Initially, my son didn’t want to go to school. But when he was told that most of his friends were going through a similar situation, he felt better,” she said.

On Sunday, the Kelantan Education Department said in a statement that students affected by the floods were permitted to be in casual attire while attending classes, which started yesterday.> Singer Nana Sheme, who got hitched in October 2022, has been sharing the challenges of married life, Harian Metro reported.

“We are into the second year of our marriage...it hasn’t always been easy. There are ups and downs, especially in terms of emotions.

“Sometimes we fight, and there are times when I get carried away with my emotions,” said Nana, 28, who hails from Sarawak.

There were also misunderstandings, she said.

On her latest song Aku Mencoba, she said it came about in an impromptu way.

“My husband was playing the guitar one night and I added lyrics to the melody spontaneously,” she said.

She said Aku Mencoba tells the story of an average Joe who is finding ways to navigate everyday life.

Nana, whose real name is Nur Nabilah Hashimi, said she is now more interested in writing songs that others could relate to instead of just going for catchy tunes.

“Aku Mencoba is about the reality of life. Everyone has their struggles. I didn’t want this song to only tell my story; I want others who listen to it to be able to relate to it.

“It is about our struggles and the paths we choose in our lives,” she added.

The above articles are compiled from the vernacular newspapers (Bahasa Malaysia, Chinese and Tamil dailies). As such, stories are grouped according to the respective language/medium. Where a paragraph begins with a >, it denotes a separate news item.