Paitan kids assured of attending school (taken from Daily Express, 18/3/09)

KOTA KINABALU: Forty pupils from Kampung Sulit and Kampung Binajar Baru, deep in Paitan who only attended 14 days of schooling in a year, can now go to school regularly. The pupils, who all come from poor families, had to miss most of their schooling days because they could not afford the ferry fare which is RM15 per round trip to school which is located 80km from the two villages.

But thanks to Living Hope Malaysia, they are now able to attend classes without interruption. The organization's founder-cum-chairman, Dr. Peggy C. Wong, said they managed to raise RM12,000 from a charity event during high tea in Kuala Lumpur.

The bulk of the money would go towards the operation of the boat, basically for fuel. Previously, the children had to WALK for four and a half hours everyday going to and from the primary school, but if they pay the RM15 fpr a boat ride, the journey is cut to 45 minutes.

"But coming from poor families, they cannot afford the fee even though they are keen to go to school" Dr. Wong said.

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Lihatlah... macam mana susah kehidupan anak-anak tempatan di kedua-dua kampung tersebut yang terletak di Daerah Paitan, Sabah. Mereka terpaksa berjalan kaki selama empat setengah jam untuk pergi dan balik ke sekolah mereka yang terletak lebih kurang 80km dari kampung mereka! Kita mau masuk 46 tahun sudah nie merdeka melalui Malaysia, tidak patut masih ada keadaan sedih macam ini.

Di mana tanggungjawab Kerajaan BN dalam hal ini?? Ini pula Living Hope Malaysia pula yang bertungkus lumus memberi bantuan kepada murid-murid dari kampung tersebut. Bila ditanya tentang rungutan PKR Sabah dan SAPP terhadap kadar peratus yang diterima oleh Sabah dan Sarawak daripada stimulus ekonomi RM60 billion yang dibentangkan oleh TPM, apa pula si Musa cakap??? Dia bilang.... "KITA AKAN MINTA JIKA ADA KEPERLUAN". Apalah punya bongo punya KM macam ini?? Apa! Dia fikir Sabah nda ada "keperluan"? Ini lah akibat KM Sabah dilantik "dari seberang".... nda da kerja lain asyik mengaaaampu saja sama bos dia. Woiii Musa tingu lah bah keadaan murid-murid sekolah di Paitan.... "Nda ada keperluan" kau bilang? Chehhh! Ini baru satu saja contoh macamana Sabah betul-betul ADA KEPERLUAN untuk meminta lebih daripada stimilus ekonomi yang diumumkan baru-baru ini. Ini tai mata saja yang kana bagi... si Musa pun puas hati.... belum ada keperluan dia bilang. Dia buta bin tuli mangkali nie!