Teacherʼs 130km of dedication
Man travels more than 130km daily to teach Orang Asli students
AT first glance, Ahmad Saidin Mohd Idris resembles an odd-job worker, clad in wornout jeans, a sweat-drenched long-sleeved shirt, mud covered shoes and carrying a backpack.
But the 40-year-old is a teacher at SK Lenjang, Lipis, who rides his motorcycle more than 65km from his house in Kuala Medang near here, to get to school daily.
Undeterred by challenges, the father of two skillfully manoeuvres his motorcycle along the muddy tracks to reach the school which caters for 456 Orang Asli students from 17 settlements.
Saidin, who had been teaching at the school for more than three years, has even fallen off his bike and come across wild animals, but nothing deters him from performing his duties.
His day begins at 5am when he starts his journey of two hours along the rutted and uneven roads.
The co-curricular senior teacher wears casual clothes during the ride, and once he reaches the school, he would switch to his formal attire.
Clad in his blue shirt, necktie and leather shoes, he said this had been his routine to ensure he arrived on time.
“If I dress neatly, my clothes might get dirty, especially because the roads from Pos Betau are in bad condition. It’s worse when it rains as the roads will have large puddles and become slippery. ”
He said only four-wheel-drive vehicles could travel here, and most of the teachers parked their vehicles at the Sungai Koyan police station.
The Kuantan-born teacher, who travels about 130km daily, said he believed the challenge at SK Lenjang was part and parcel of the job, especially in serving the interior, which had yet to be equipped with modern facilities.
“In the beginning, it was tough. But now, we are used to it and we enjoy teaching at SK Lenjang.
“Apart from lessons, I enjoy introducing the Orang Asli pupils to sports, as for them, it is a reason for them to travel, especially when participating in districtand state-level competitions.
“Some even attend school to make sure they did not miss sports,” he said, adding that a 12year-old pupil had represented SK Lenjang at the National Schools Sports Council competition for the cross-country event.
As for Teachers Day at the school, Saidin said they did not expect anything from the pupils. Instead, the staff would host meals for pupils and hand out chocolates.
“At SK Lenjang, we are a big family, and during the sports day, we will include the support staff, including guards.
“Apart from teaching, we advise those who have completed Year Six to continue their studies to Form One.
“Most of the teachers here have also learnt some words in the Semai dialect, which allows us to become close to the pupils. To provide extra coaching, some teachers who live at the staff quarters conduct extra classes for the Year Six students who stay at the hostel at night.”
SK Lenjang has 25 teachers, and while some travel daily, others will usually stay at the school during weekdays and only go home for the weekend. Page 1 pic: Ahmad Saidin Mohd Idris travelling on uneven, muddy and slippery roads to get to SK Lenjang in Kuala Lipis, Pahang, 65km away from where he lives.