Safer river commute expected for Pitas students with larger boat from Bengkoka rep

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Harun (second right) visited SK Mangkapon’s jetty and promised to provide a bigger boat for the students.

KOTA KINABALU (Jan 19): Bengkoka assemblyman Harun Durabi is setting aside an allocation to buy a larger boat for students of SK Mangkapon in Pitas after concern over their safety surfaced on social media.

He said he had met the school’s parent-teacher association yesterday and had informed them of his plans.

“I informed them about my preparation to provide a bigger boat for about 29 students who are commuting by boat from their village to the school.

“I also handed over life jackets from Pitas District Office to the school,” he said when contacted after visiting SK Mangkapon’s jetty.

Recently, photos of students from Kampung Pituru Timbang Taun risking their lives commuting to school without life jackets in small boats had gone viral and captured the public’s attention on social media.

The Education Ministry had also provided life jackets to the students after their plight was highlighted by the media.

Many of the villages in Bengkoka are unreachable by road. The river provides the people with their main link with the outside world.