How YouTube led to Suhaili’s thriving crab empire

SANDAKAN: More than a decade ago, when Suhaili Abdurahman told people in Kampung Bambangan that he wanted to rear soft-shell crabs, few took the idea seriously. After all, he had never farmed crabs before.

Yet, convinced the waters surrounding his village held untapped potential, Suhaili invested RM700 to build six crab cages and buy a small batch of juvenile mud crabs.

Then, to make sure his investment did not go to waste, he moved with his wife and three young children into a floating house beside the cages. It was a gamble that would change his life.

Today, the 46-year-old operates more than 50 cages in the waters off Sandakan, producing between 500kg and 600kg of soft-shell crabs every month. His success has inspired other villagers to follow suit, creating new sources of income for the community.

Suhaili still remembers how unlikely it all seemed. “At that time, I was working for a private company. Whenever I had free time, I watched videos on social media and YouTube.

“I came across several videos about soft-shell crab farming in neighbouring countries and became interested,” he told Bernama.

With no formal training, he decided to learn by observation. “I believed that if neighbouring countries could do it, then the waters of Kampung Bambangan must have the same potential.”

His first batch of crabs rewarded that faith: within weeks, the juvenile mud crabs moulted into soft-shell crabs, a delicacy prized by restaurants and seafood lovers alike.

For four years, Suhaili and his family lived on the floating house so he could monitor the crabs around the clock. The most critical period came during moulting, when crabs shed their hard shells. “It usually happens at night, between 6pm and 1am,” he noted.

“Once a crab starts moulting, I only have about three hours to collect it. If I’m late, the shell hardens and it can no longer be sold as a soft-shell crab.”

Life on the water was not always easy. Storms, rough seas and increasingly unpredictable weather often threatened the operation. Hot spells and El Niño conditions affected moulting rates, while strong waves occasionally damaged cages.

There was also growing competition for juvenile mud crabs as demand for soft-shell crabs increased. Still, Suhaili persevered.

Doing it for the community

Over the years, he built a supply network involving about 50 fishermen from surrounding areas, creating opportunities that extended beyond his own family business.

His farm now supplies restaurants across Sabah, while some of the crabs make their way to overseas markets through seafood traders.

The operation has also become an attraction in its own right. Located a short boat ride from Kampung Bahagia Jetty in Batu Sapi, the farm is now part of the village’s community-based tourism offerings.

Recently, a group of European tourists visited the site, curious to see first-hand how soft-shell crabs are harvested.

Suhaili credits much of his growth to support from agencies such as the state fisheries department. Yet, he remains focused on the same goals that inspired him more than a decade ago.

For him, the business was never only about making money – it was about improving his family’s future, creating opportunities for his community, and proving that a simple idea can reap dividends.

And it all started with a few videos on YouTube.