Sabah's Fish Buffet

Thousands of fish splashed onto the shores of Kampung Tabisan in Sabah's eastern Lahad Datu district, sparking talk among the residents whether it was an omen of things to come.

Villagers rushed to scoop up the fish, but were divided on whether it was a good sign or bad one, The Star reported. Ms Suzila Abdullah, who has a shop in the village, said this has happened before over the past three years.

"It is different this time because the number of fish is exceptionally high.

"In the past, most would have been scooped up by the end of the day, but today, there are still a lot more left," she said on Wednesday.

She said she believed that strong currents and waves caused the fish, locally known as tamban, to come to shore.

The villagers cooked the fish while some took it to Lahad Datu and other districts to sell them.

Tamban is popular among the villagers.

The Meteorological Department said that no seismic activity was recorded off the coast of Lahad Datu where the fish were found.

POSSIBLE TSUNAMI

Its director-general Che Gayah Ismail said that although such an incident was usually seen as a sign of a possible tsunami, the department did not detect any such activity.

She told The Star: "From our data, this has happened before in Lahad Datu a couple of years ago. (Offhand), I do not know what could be causing this. We will have to study more than just the video."

Thousands of fish beached on M'sian state's eastern shores

Get The New Paper for more stories.