While most kids travel to school in relative comfort either with their parents or by school bus and public transportation, the situation is starkly different for students in a remote village in Sarawak.

dangerous river crossing for school children in sarawak 240609 Primary school pupils from Long Kerong in Miri are forced to dice with danger on a daily basis just to seek an education.

The nearest school, SK Long Sait, is nearly an hour’s walk away, and the children must cross three rivers to reach their destination.

Lejau Lalang, 12, lamented that it is very dangerous, especially for the Year 1 and 2 pupils, to cross the rivers because of the strong currents.

Lejau Lalang, a pupil of SK Long Sait said that crossing three rivers (without a bridge) was extremely dangerous, especially for the younger children.

In view of this, the Year 6 student hopes that bridges will be built.

"We hope to have the bridges so that it will be easier for us to get to school," he said.

Local villager Hendry Nyaring, 51 told Malaysiakini that a request had been submitted on April 10, 2006 to the state government for the bridges to be built.

However, the appeal has fallen on deaf ears as the government has yet to respond.

This issue was brought to light earlier this month when a citizen journalist team filmed a video for Malaysiakini about the Long Kerong children’s perilous journey to school.

VIDEO l 5.27 Minutes

Video contributed by Malaysiakini-ICFJ citizen journalism trainees from Sarawak.

Camera & interviews by Nick Kelesau & Sia Ngedah

Editing & voiceover by Pairin Boka