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Sabah kids cross river using rafts, 'zip line' to attend school

NABAWAN: Nangkawangan villagers, including kids risk their lives daily to cross a river near their homes after the suspension bridge was washed away by floods, last month.

Their only means to cross the river is using bamboo rafts or a 'zip line' made by the villagers themselves.

Two videos showing school children riding rafts and barrels hung on cables before being pulled like a 'zip line' have been shared on social media since yesterday.

Many expressed concern over the method of crossing the river as it is a safety hazard, especially involving school children.

A spokesperson representing the residents of Kampung Nangkawangan, Zazila Roslan, 30, said the suspension bridge in the village was washed away due to heavy floods that hit several areas in the district last month.

She said apart from the suspension bridge, several other facilities including a concrete bridge to cross the river was also destroyed due to the natural disaster.

"The extraordinary flooding occurred during the school holidays and when the break ended, teachers who teach in some schools in the area had to walk several hours to ensure they could get to school to teach the children there and this was already reported in the press earlier.

"I know this because my mother is a teacher in a village there and the Sabah Native Volunteers team also went to several nearby villages for a mission to send aid," she said.

Zazila said the villagers informed the people's representatives to go down to the field to look into their problems and promised to take appropriate action, including providing boats for the residents to use while waiting for the construction of a new bridge.

However, she said the promised boat was not yet available, causing the villagers to raft to the other side of the river and also use the 'zip line'.

Meanwhile, commenting on the situation, Deputy Works Minister who is also Pensiangan Member of Parliament, Datuk Arthur Joseph Kurup, said he had previously met with Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob over the situation of several villages in Nabawan that were badly affected by the floods.

He said Ismail Sabri also agreed to issue an emergency provision to overcome the problems and damage suffered as a result of the natural disaster.

"I am well aware of this situation where the damage suffered is the result of the recent massive floods.

"In this regard, I met with the Prime Minister to inform him of the problem and he agreed to issue an emergency provision.

"A team of technical officers from the Implementation Coordinating Unit and the District Office also visited the area two days ago, and now they have started preparing the necessary reports," he said.

He said he would also meet with the villagers to discuss efforts to help provide safer transportation for students to go to school.

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