TERENGGANU: Following severe coastal erosion at Kampung Pengkalan Maras, the phenomenon continues to devastate the beach at Kampung Tanjung, Batu Rakit, forcing some traders to shut their businesses.
The situation has caused significant anxiety among residents and traders in the area, which is renowned for its rural charm, local culture, and coastal beauty.
Kampung Pengkalan Maras and Kampung Tanjung, Batu Rakit, both face the South China Sea, which is subjected to powerful waves during the monsoon season.
The deteriorating erosion in the village has eroded large parts of the beach and swept away several stalls set up along the roadside in the affected zone.
Additionally, the main road near the beach, approximately 150 metres in length, has reportedly collapsed after being struck by waves as high as 2.5 metres in late December.
As the erosion encroaches further, several traders have been forced to shut down their businesses.
Wan Rosniza Wan Deraman, a trader from Kampung Mengabang Lekor, Batu Rakit, said she is uncertain when the erosion problem, which has plagued the coastline for over a decade, will come to an end.
She said that she has had to relocate her stall multiple times due to erosion after selling food in the beach area for the past year.
"I was forced to dismantle my stall and move to another location to avoid having it swept away by the waves as soon as the trading area eroded," she said.
"I don't want to incur major losses, so I take precautions and dismantle the stall early before it gets washed away by the sea.
"This stall won't last long either, and I might need to move again because the erosion has worsened and has now come dangerously close to my stall," she said.
Another trader, Mazni Bidin, claimed that they had foreseen the erosion affecting the village and criticised the government for being slow to act in preventing the issue from spreading to other nearby villages.
The trader said that the government should have taken proactive measures, especially when severe erosion was first observed in Kampung Tanjung Gelam back in 2015.
"At that time, residents suggested constructing an artificial island rather than wave breakers, as wave breakers could worsen erosion in other areas.
"The government did not heed the suggestions, and as a result, the erosion worsened, destroying much of the infrastructure, resident's assets, land, trees, and fishermen's jetties, all of which were swept into the sea."
"It began in Kampung Tanjung Gelam, then spread to Kampung Kolam, followed by Kampung Mengabang Telipot, Kampung Pengkalan Maras, and now it is Kampung Tanjung, Batu Rakit, that has become the latest victim," the trader said during an interview at the beach area.
A recent survey of the village's beach revealed that the main road had collapsed, an issue reportedly ongoing since late last month.
To ensure public safety, ropes and plastic barriers have been installed along the road to prevent people from venturing near the eroded sections.
Beyond the road, several coconut trees have fallen, and shelters, including areas where fishermen rest and unload their catch, have also collapsed under the impact of the waves.
Several traders have been forced to shut down their businesses as the erosion increasingly getting closer to their shops.