RANTAU PANJANG: Traders at the Rantau Panjang duty-free zone were forced to cease operations today after their homes affected by floods, which hit several parts of the state.
Most of the traders, who live in villages along Sungai Golok, decided not to open their shops after the river breached its banks last night.
Checks at the duty-free zone, located about 100m from Sungai Golok, showed that parts of the area were inundated by floodwaters.
However, the area remains passable to motorists.
Checks also showed that nearly all shops were closed, with several traders seen packing their goods in preparation for potential worsening of the floods.
Trader Nurul Atikah Adli, 21, said she returned to her shop this afternoon to check if the premises were also affected by the floods.
"My father told me that other traders began closing their shops today after Sungai Golok overflowed its banks last night," said Nurul Atikah, who sells slippers and toys.
Another trader, Yah Ahmad, said she packed all the items from her shop as early as Sunday.
"Many of us made early preparations because we don't want to suffer huge losses due to the floods.
"At the same time, we are also worried about leaving our homes as the floodwaters are rising quickly," said the 63-year-old, who sells kitchen appliances.