Rafida Zaiddin
KOTA KINABALU (Oct 1): Rafida Zaiddin has expressed mixed emotions over the attention she received for enrolling in Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) with a gunny sack as her luggage.
“At first, I was excited, but now I’m a bit nervous with all the interview requests,” said the 19-year-old accounting student from Sandakan.
Rafida explained to reporters during the oath and pledge ceremony at UMS on Tuesday that during registration, a member of the UMS team had approached her to confirm whether the sack was hers or if she had taken someone else’s by mistake.
“I told them the gunny sack is mine,” she recalled.
“They took some pictures and asked why I brought it,” she added.
UMS had encouraged students to bring only two pieces of luggage. Traveling by bus from Sandakan, Rafida needed a practical solution to keep her belongings organized.
“I put some items in the sack and the rest in my luggage,” she said.
Arriving at the Inanam bus terminal at 2am, the sack allowed her to easily manage her things before heading to a nearby hotel for the night.
The idea to use a gunny sack came from her father, a self-employed fruit trader.
Since her story went viral, Rafida has received offers of assistance from many, including Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek.
Grateful for the support, she hopes it will ease her father’s financial burden.
Fadhlina, in a post on her official Facebook page on Sunday, said she had contacted Rafida and immediately arranged for financial aid and other necessities to support her studies.
Her story also touched the heart of Deputy Higher Education Minister Datuk Mustapha Sakmud who said his ministry was committed to ensuring that the welfare of students are ensured throughout their studies and was ready to help because ‘no student should be left behind’.
Mustapha asked UMS and Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) Sabah to identify less fortunate students in their educational institutions so that they could be given the appropriate assistance.
