TUMPAT: When it comes to majestic scenery, nothing beats the view that vegetable farmer Low Boon Thong wakes up to very morning in Bedang Pak Yong, Pengkalan Kubor, in the northernmost tip of Kelantan.
The 66-year-old’s farm is surrounded by sprawling paddy fields and is only accessible via a narrow tarred path.
“I plant corn, ladies fingers, long beans and bitter gourd. But not cucumber. They are very hard to take care of and are easily susceptible to diseases,” he explains.
An estimated 70% of the villagers in Bedang Pak Yong are Malaysians of Thai ancestry although there is also a significant presence of Malay and Muslim farmers who live and work side by side with their Buddhist neighbors.
In all, the Thai population consists of about 6-7% of the Pengkalan Kubor electorate, a vital number especially when the Malay votes are expected to be split evenly.
Low is unique among his neighbors as he does not come from a farming family in an area where the occupation is passed on for generations.
Scenery of area that close to Low's vegetables farm at Kampung Bendang Pakyong in Pengkalan Kubor,Kelantan. - Photo by NORAFIFI EHSAN
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