Father ferries children by sea daily for education

Sinar Daily

15-06-2025

Jamaludin Musa, a scuba diving instructor, has maintained this daily routine for the past seven years.
Jamaludin braves the sea every day to send his children to school. Photo by Sinar
SHAH ALAM – A father braves the sea daily to ensure his two children receive their education, ferrying them to and from school from their home in Kampung Salang, Pulau Tioman.
Jamaludin Musa, 41, a scuba diving instructor, has maintained this daily routine for the past seven years.
He sends his eldest son Armin, 11 and daughter Aida Izabella, 8, to Sekolah Kebangsaan Tekek, Pulau Tioman in Rompin, Pahang.
According to Jamaludin, travelling by land would take nearly four hours and involves navigating through forests, steep slopes and the risk of venomous animals, making sea travel the only practical option.
'The land route is completely unsuitable. Carrying school bags through the jungle, with snakes and other dangers, it's just not feasible for us to use that route to get to school.
'So, we use a boat which takes between 10 to 15 minutes, passing through three other villages, although we still have to contend with weather challenges," he told Sinar earlier this week.
A video showing their daily boat journey to school went viral on social media, garnering over 1.3 million views and 74,800 likes.
Jamaludin shared that their routine begins as early as 6.30am, with his wife, Rozalia Bodi, 43, a native of Budapest, Hungary, preparing the children.
They then ride a motorcycle to the jetty and take a boat across the island.
'Although the sea journey is shorter than the land, it is still challenging. From our home, I ride a motorcycle to the jetty, then take the boat and ride a motorcycle again to reach the school.
'After that, I return home by boat and wait to pick up the kids again after school ends. So we use three different modes of transportation every day," he said.
Despite various challenges, including an incident where the boat engine broke off and fell into the sea, forcing him to purchase a new boat worth RM6,000, Jamaludin said his determination to ensure his children attend school has never wavered.
What's more impressive is that both his children excel in their studies, each securing first place in class and actively participating in sports.
Jamaludin also shared that he has been teaching his children how to operate the boat from a young age, as a safety measure for navigating the sea.
'Alhamdulillah, Armin is now able to steer the boat on his own around the waters of Kampung Salang under my supervision. He even helps ferry his friends from the village to their respective destinations. Armin excels not only in academics but also in sports,' he said.