JOHOR BARU: Some residents in Kluang who caught Arowana fish washed out from a broken fish pond say they discovered chips inside the fish after cooking them.
K. Vijandran, aged 32, said that several residents in the area had cooked the escaped Arowana.
They also found identification chips inside them.
Meanwhile, a resident known as Hassan, 70, said he was unsure if the fish were safe to eat due to the presence of the chips.
"Some residents consumed the fish without verifying if they were safe for consumption," he said, expressing concern.
Meanwhile, Vijaya, whose family are ornamental fish enthusiasts, said they wanted to keep the fish, which can be worth thousands of ringgit.
However, he said they only had a chance to keep the fish for a short while. "Our wish to keep a few Arowana fish caught in the drain did not come true as they died within two days," said Vijandran, a private sector worker.
Vijandran and his family were among dozens of residents who caught the fish washed out from the pond.
"Our hopes of keeping some of the Arowana fish we caught from the drain didn't materialise as they perished within two days," he said.
He explained that the fish, found in drains and rivers, had distinctive golden and white-purple scales.
Unfortunately, the three fish they captured only survived for two days in their aquarium.
"We believe this is due to the murky water in the drains and ditches in the oil palm plantation, which is unsuitable for the fish.
"One by one, the fish died, and similarly, friends who caught fish nearby also reported that their fish died.
"Only the pictures of the fish in the aquarium serve as memories," he said when contacted.
Previously, reports surfaced about thousands of arowana fish found in streams and drains around Layang-Layang and Simpang Renggam.
According to Bernama, the owner of the broken rearing ponds expressed no intention to retrieve the escaped fish currently in possession of villagers.
Ng Ah Phau clarified that retrieving the 15,000 to 18,000 fish would be a complicated process.
He also expressed hope that no one would blame or threaten the nearby villagers over the matter.