GUA MUSANG: Dressed in her school uniform and travelling by boat past flooded homes has become a yearly experience for Nur Fatin Hanina Muhd Naim, 17, whenever floods hit Kampung Limau Kasturi here.
The student from SMK Sungai Asap said this routine was something she goes through for at least two to four days each year, depending on the weather and water levels in her village.
Her family owns a boat as a "spare vehicle" to use whenever roads and bridges in Kampung Limau Kasturi are submerged, cutting off access.
"It has become a norm for us to ride in the boat, rowed by my father, across the flooded areas before catching a ride in a relative's car parked on higher ground across the river," she said when met with her family while returning home by boat yesterday.
Nur Fatin, who is preparing for the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) examination, said she chooses to commute to her school, located approximately 30km away, because she finds it more comfortable to study at home, where she also has better access to educational resources.
"Every day during the floods, my younger sister, Nur Azwa Shafrina, 16, and I follow the same routine of taking a boat to school.
"Since I will be sitting for the SPM examination this year, I spend a lot of time revising using my smartphone. That's why I prefer staying at home," she said.
Kampung Limau Kasturi Federal Village Development and Security Committee chairman, Aluwi Muda said that more than 50 primary and secondary school students from the village and Kampung Serian have been affected by the second wave of floods.
"Sometimes, these students cannot get to school until the water recedes because not every family in the village owns a boat or canoe to navigate through the flooded areas," he said.