Unique ‘luggage’ gets unexpected fame as student brings it to university
KOTA KINABALU: It has not reached the “fame” of the red-white-blue plastic bag that has come to symbolise Hong Kong’s working class, but Rafida Zaiddin’s (pic) use of a gunny sack as luggage has lit up social media.
Rafida, who registered as a first-year accountancy student at Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) yesterday, explained that there is a rule that students are allowed just two pieces of luggage to ease their admission into the hostel.
Due to the family’s limited resources, her father suggested using a white rice gunny sack to keep her belongings.
“I did not have a large suitcase, so I packed half of my things into the gunny sack. The rest I fit into a small suitcase and backpack,” she said.
Last Friday, she boarded the 7pm bus for the six-hour journey. She arrived at the Inanam bus station at 2am.
“I used the sack to carry all my necessities during the registration for new students at UMS to avoid losing any items during the long bus ride,” said the 19-year-old lass.
But the sight of her with the gunny sack became a spectacle.
Rafida did not expect it to catch so much attention because it was a normal practice for her family.
“After the story spread, a senior student came to my room and asked about the sack. At first, I thought I might have taken someone else’s belongings, but they were just curious about me,” she said during an interview yesterday.
Rafida said she was not embarrassed at all about using the gunny sack.
“My family has done it before. We are used to it. We would use the rice gunny sack to pack our belongings when we balik kampung,” said Rafida, who is the youngest of two siblings from the quiet fishing village of Kampung Sim-Sim, Sandakan.
Her father is a vegetable seller while her mother is a housewife. Her elder brother works in a factory in Selangor.
Rafida, who is the first in her family to go to university, loves mathematics, hence the dream of becoming an accountant. She likes to read motivational books too.
Rafida and her rice gunny sack caught the attention of Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek, who reached out to her via video call.
Fadhlina asked about her well- being and financial situation.
To Rafida’s surprise, Fadhlina sent RM3,000 to her.
“She asked if I had enough money for my studies. I told her yes, but she sent the funds anyway. I am grateful for the gesture,” Rafida said.
Rafida shared that she had applied for the Sabah State Government Scholarship and had received a one-off cash assistance for higher education registration through the Budi programme.
UMS vice-chancellor Prof Datuk Dr Kasim Mansor also took note of Rafida’s situation, instructing the university’s Student Affairs Department to assist students like her.He said UMS would ensure students requiring financial or emotional support would receive the necessary help.
