9 schools in 4 districts are closed

Kota Kinabalu: Nine primary schools in four districts here were closed due to the incessant heavy downpour on Monday that triggered flooding in low-lying areas.Of the nine, three schools are in Kota Kinabalu namely SK Darau and SK Rampayan in Manggatal and SK Kitobu in Inanam while four schools in Tuaran – SK Lapotung, SK Rungus, SK Togop and SJKC Ching Hwa, Tenghilan were also shut down.

SK Kem Lok Kawi in Penampang and SK Timbang in Kota Belud have also been ordered to close.

State Education Department Director Datuk Maimunah Suhaibul said a total of 3,806 pupils and 272 teachers were affected by the schools closure.

When contacted, she said the affected schools would be reopened after the affected buildings and compounds have been cleaned up properly and conducive for teaching and learning for the teachers and students.

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"Re-opening the nine schools would depend on how long the affected schools need to clean up their affected classrooms, buildings and compounds.

"But if they could not do so in a day, then the school cannot be re-opened as they have to continue cleaning up the area.

"I have received reports that the floodwater has receded from the affected school buildings and they need to do a lot of cleaning," she said, adding that she will monitor the cleaning progress of the schools.

Maimunah said SK Darau school management is committed and has been working hard to clean up their buildings and compound on Tuesday but it seems that it may be quite difficult for them to do so if there was rain today (Tuesday).

Nonetheless, she said the department will be monitoring the cleaning progress of the nine schools before the schools can be re-opened.

On Monday evening, 22 pupils of SK Darau were stranded in the school as access roads heading to the school were flooded and inaccessible to small vehicles following heavy downpour and the water level was between one and two feet deep.

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The pupils from the evening session were accompanied by two teachers while taking shelter on the first floor of the school premises.

Maimunah was reported as saying that as of 9pm, the parents came to pick up their children in the schools. - Hayati Dzulkifli

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