Compiled by NG ZI QIN, C. ARUNO and R. ARAVINTHAN
FOR Muhammad Khairuddin Mohd On, his daily mode of transport to school is by boat, which he rows himself, Utusan Malaysia reported.
The daily routine of this Year Six student from SK Kampung Aur in Bukit Ibam, Pahang, is to take the oars as early as 6am and cross Sungai Aur to reach the school, located 2km away from his home.
This mode of transport came about after a suspension bridge connecting Kampung Aur and Kampung Aur Seberang was destroyed in a flood on March 3 last year.
“I used the suspension bridge to go to school. But since it collapsed, I have had to row a boat. After crossing the river, I ride a motorcycle given by my father to get to school,” said Muhammad Khairuddin.
His mother, Kasmah Tan, 55, will usually accompany him but if she is unwell, he will row the boat alone.
“It is quite difficult to row the boat, especially when the river level is high or during heavy rain, which causes me to be late for school. If the weather is extremely bad, I cannot attend school or I have to stay overnight at a friend’s house because it is too dangerous to cross the river.
“Sometimes my white school uniform gets dirty when I am rowing. However, I am really grateful my teachers understand my situation and do not scold me,” he said.
Aside from rowing to school, the boy also uses the boat to buy household necessities from the grocery store across the river.
> A petai seller is determined to earn a living despite being wheelchair-bound after his left leg was amputated up to the knee due to diabetes and a motorcycle accident in March, Kosmo! reported.
Ahmad Nazar Abu Hasan, 58, from Kampung Simpang Tiga Pasir in Kedah said that although he is disabled, he must fulfil his duty as a husband and father to two children, aged 14 and 18.
Previously, he supported his family by farming and selling frozen food with his wife.
He only sustained a minor leg injury in the accident. When it did not fully heal, he discovered that he was diabetic and by that time it was too late to save his leg.
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.
