GUA MUSANG: The Fire and Rescue Department was able to bring out 67 of the 101 students who were stranded in five Orang Asli settlements here in a three-day operation which ended today.
Two helicopters from the department were dispatched for the purpose.
Kelantan/Terengganu Orang Asli Development Department (Jakoa) director Hashim Alang Abd Hamid said the remaining 34 students were not at the stipulated location where the helicopters landed and they would be brought our from their village by land through timber road soon.
He said the operation was conducted to bring out the Orang Asli students, from Pos Bihai, Balar, Gob, Simpor and Belatim, who could not begin the new school session which started on Jan 4 because heavy rain had damaged the timber access routes.
The students have not attended school for almost a month, he told the media after receiving the students at Padang Pusat Sivik here today.
Meanwhile, Kelantan Education deputy director Abdullah Mat said the department always collaborated with Jakoa to address problems of absenteeism among Orang Asli students in secondary schools here.
“We understand their problem and will try to bring out the remaining 34 students soon because we do not want them to miss their lessons,” he added.
Subang Fire and Rescue Department JBPM Air Unit public relations officer Mohd Farhan Marzuki said the fourth operation today went smoothly although the helicopters had to make empty flights as they could not locate the students at the landing location.
He believed it was due to miscommunication with the parents of the students concerned. — Bernama
