By Shikin Louis
KUCHING, Oct 4: At 67, Abdul Rahman Meran continues working his fishpond and crops to support his family, including three children with disabilities who live with him.
The Kampung Gumpe, Gedong farmer has spent years rebuilding his livelihood after floods repeatedly damaged his agricultural ventures, but he said his determination to continue comes from his own strong spirit and the need to keep supporting his family.
Abdul Rahman first ventured into fish farming after an earlier attempt at supplying agricultural produce to supermarkets and factories proved difficult due to inconsistent supplies.
With about one acre of land, he started a fishpond covering roughly half an acre and stocked it with about 800 Java barb (lampam jawa) fingerlings obtained from the Department of Agriculture.
The venture showed promise until floods hit the pond in 2007, wiping out the remaining fish. Rather than giving up, he set about rebuilding the pond, initially using his own strength to construct an embankment before seeking help from an excavator operator through a neighbour.
He initially requested three hours of machine work, but the job eventually stretched to seven days and cost him about RM7,000, which he paid from his savings.
Abdul Rahman went on to rebuild the pond three times, eventually investing more than RM30,000 of his own savings without taking a loan. Today, the pond has been properly embanked and raised against floods, with more than 2,000 Java barb and an average monthly income of about RM1,000.
To supplement his income, he later planted about 80 soursop trees but faced difficulties finding buyers, with only about two out of every 10 ripe fruits being sold and the rest at risk of spoiling.
He then began packing and freezing the ripe fruit, buying two freezers after discovering it could remain in good condition for about a week, before seeking help from friends in Kuching to find a market.
The effort eventually paid off, but another flood about two years ago killed all his soursop trees, prompting him to switch to sweet potatoes, which he sells in bulk to markets in Serian and Kuching, including Kubah Ria and Matang.
The sweet potatoes also generate about RM1,000 a month, although the crop too has been affected by floods.
“The sweet potatoes were also hit by floods. We really cannot escape from disasters,” he said.
Abdul Rahman has eight children, four of whom are already married, while three of his children with disabilities still live with him. His youngest is 17 and preparing to sit for the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) examination, while his wife is a full-time housewife.
He said one of the three children has a mental disability, another has been a slow learner since childhood, while another frequently suffers seizures or collapses when exposed to heat.
He once employed a helper to assist with the farm but had to ask the worker to find another job after flooding damaged his sweet potato crop and he could no longer afford the wages.
He also has no pension, having left his previous employment early to pursue business and farming.
His continued efforts to remain productive and support his family earned him a Special Award at the Welfare Micro-Entrepreneur Awards Ceremony 2026 held at MetroCity Convention Centre here today.
Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan presented the Special Award to him.
Minister of Women, Childhood and Community Wellbeing Development Dato Sri Fatimah Abdullah said the panel introduced the Special Award to recognise a successful welfare micro-entrepreneur among senior citizens who remained productive and continued contributing to their families and society.
She said Abdul Rahman’s agricultural activities reflected the National Senior Citizens Policy’s philosophy of healthy, productive and positive ageing.
“Although he is a senior citizen, he is still productive. He continues his agricultural activities as a source of income to support his family,” she said. — DayakDaily
