Sarawak River

I had the chance of having a conversation with Osman, a boat operator at Sarawak River when I took a boat ride at the riverside, Kuching, Sarawak. He is a middle age man (I assume). If he is younger, his job really aged him severely. He took passengers from Pengkalan Batu (literally means rock base) to the other side where you can visit Fort Margharita. He is quite chatty despite had to work under the hot sun and the dialect that I am not familiar with.For 0.40 sen, you can take a boat ride to the other side of the river. For RM40, he can take you for 30 minutes tour of the river.

I guess that he lives a very hard life. He is from Kota Samarahan, another district in Sarawak which is 5 hours journey from Kuching. Osman will work for a week at the boat before going back to his hometown for a three days break. The cycle will resume on and on. In that one week, he will eat and sleep in his boat.

According to Osman, the number of passengers he ferries every day is around 50 people. His overhead is RM20 that is to buy the diesel to power his boat. Based on the fare he charges for one customer, he will earn RM20 that is the same of his overhead. What if the boat needs to buy spare parts? I discounted the fact that some people will pay for short tour like I did as it may not be frequent.

Just imagine that he needs to eat, provide for his family and perhaps save some for rainy days. Just imagine what will the effect if the diesel price goes up. How can he support his family and even to survive for the day.

My short tour deprives me of knowing him a little bit better. The boat may not belong to him and he only earns salary for his work. But based on the cash flow projection of one boat, I am sure he receives a speck of the total profit (or loss).

I can see that under the hot sun, he tried to work an honest life ferrying passengers for a consideration of 0.40 sen. He cracked a few jokes along the journey but every line of his wrinkle is an evidence of hardship that he need to endure all his life. Yet he work hard and leave the rest to God. How many of us give a second look at 0.40 sen, or we just throw it away? Perhaps, as we sprint to achieve the status of developed country, we should take a while and think about the future of people like Osman.

For those who never take a boat ride in Kuching, I strongly recommend that you give it a try. The scenic view along the river of traditional malay village and the historical fort would take your breath away. The pavement of the waterfront is well managed and some useful historical information is placed along the pavement. If you are hungry and thirsty, you can find cafes and food kiosk selling foods and drinks.

Across the road, you can find a stretch of shop houses selling art craft, T-Shirts and souvenirs. If you do not know what to do next, you can go to the information center at the old court house just in front of the water front. The officer is always helpful and greets you with a smile.