Kuala lumpur: A farmer here incurred losses of over RM10,000 after floodwaters destroyed more than 5,000 of his vegetable plants. Mohd Saiful Azhan Abdullah, 35, said his brinjal, long bean, and cucumber crops on his 0.4-hectare farm were submerged in chest-deep water this morning.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Mohd Saiful began planting and fertilising the vegetables at the end of October and continued until early this month. The crops were nearing harvest, except for the brinjals, which require more time to bear fruit. Despite the setback, Mohd Saiful managed to salvage about 100 kilogrammes of mature long beans yesterday, which he sold to a wholesaler today.

The farm, which Mohd Saiful has been running with his parents, Zaitun Abbas, 71, and Abdullah Mat Ali, 80, for the past five years, has now been flooded twice. The previous incident in 2023 saw water levels rise only to calf level, sparing the entire crop from destruction.

Meanwhile, in the neighboring Kampung Banggol Katong, a trader with disabilities, Japri Mohd Naim, continues to operate his sundry shop despite floodwaters reaching thigh level at both his trading premises and home since yesterday. Japri remains open to provide essential goods and food supplies to villagers who are unable to leave the area due to flooded roads.

Japri, who has been paralysed from the waist down following an accident 14 years ago, typically earns between RM4,000 and RM5,000 a month. However, the floods have severely impacted his business, causing his income to drop by about 50 per cent. This marks the first time that both his house and shop have experienced flooding, despite their proximity to the river.