KOTA KINABALU: With the devastation caused by the 2004 and 2009 tsunamis fresh on their minds, villagers in Kampung Tambisan, near Felda Sahabat Lahad Datu, were worried when they saw a huge school of ‘ikan tamban’ (sardines) on shore there yesterday morning.
The weird incident was discovered by a group of villagers who had gone to the beach and saw the fish wash up on shore.
When they brought word of the phenomenon to fellow villagers, many were afraid that the fish was a sign that a tsunami could occur.
However, Sabah Meteorological Department director Abdul Malik Tussin when contacted for comment on the incident in Lahad Datu, said the department had not received any warning of a possible tsunami hitting Sabah.
“Generally our report says that the west coast and interior of Sabah will be experiencing rain for a few days. I therefore advise the public, especially those on the east coast not to believe in rumours that the incident in Lahad Datu was connected to a tsunami,” he stressed.
Tungku assemblyman Datuk Mohd Suhaili Said also advised the villagers not to panic or make any illogical assumptions about what had happened.
He added that the relevant authorities would disseminate information about the issue from time to time.
In the incident which was reported at about 8am, villagers could not believe their eyes when they saw the large number of fish being washed up on shore.
While some were scared as they believed it was a sign that a tsunami was about to hit the area, others saw it as a ‘bounty’ from the sea and went about collecting as much of the fish as they could.