SIBU: Continuous heavy rain has caused flooding in several areas across Sarawak, cutting off access to entire communities.
Families have been displaced, some forced into temporary evacuation centres, while others remain stranded at home, unable to leave as floodwaters swallow the roads.
Amid the chaos, one story stood out — a father’s extraordinary sacrifice to ensure his daughter did not miss her crucial Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia examination.
Her brother, Fabian Meringgai Sebastian, shared the emotional journey on Facebook, capturing the hearts of many. Within just an hour, his post had been shared 167 times and received 225 likes.
“My phone was ringing — it was a call from my mother, asking how we could get my sister to school.
“She told me my sister had a Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia examination at eleven o’clock in the morning the next day. But there was a problem — the only road to school, Dijih Road, was completely flooded and impassable by car.
“She asked if I could talk to my sister’s teachers to figure something out,” Fabian recalled.
The thought of his sister, Nur Fatin Nasnha Hamzah, missing her examination — and having to go through the long, tedious process of applying to retake it, made him determined to find a solution.
“I spent about an hour on the phone with the teachers, but we were all at a loss,” he said.
Their father, Sebastian Sintan, initially insisted on using a speedboat to Dalat, but Fabian was against it — it was too dangerous.
“It is not a short trip from Ulu Baoh to Dalat. If the distance is still the same as before, it would take at least three hours,” he said.
Finally, a group of teachers agreed to help but only if his sister could get to Selangau town.
“That was our only option. Like it or not, we had to brave the flooded Dijih Road once again,” Fabian said.
He immediately called his father to ask if he could take his sister to Selangau.
“He replied ‘yes’ without hesitation and said he would carry my sister across the floodwaters.
“Even though he sounded confident, I knew deep down he must have felt anxious,” Fabian added.
The next morning, Fabian received a photograph — one that left him speechless.
Sebastian was seen walking through waist-deep floodwaters, pushing a large plastic basin. Inside sat his sister, dry and safe, on her way to school.
“My eyes welled up with tears. A father’s sacrifice is beyond words.
“He sent my sister through the flood in a basin because he knew she could not swim,” Fabian said.
Fabian reflected on his father’s unwavering dedication to education.
“Since my own schooling days, my father has spent all his energy and money to ensure I received an education.
“If his sacrifices could be measured as debt, I could never repay them.
“Even in another universe, I would still choose you to be my father. Loving you is an understatement — it truly is. Thank you, Father,” he wrote.
Fabian also extended his heartfelt gratitude to the teachers and the district education office who stepped in to help.
“As the saying goes, ‘if the wings break, the beak must push on’. Seeing all these efforts, I am very sure that the future of Sarawak’s education is in good hands,” he added.
