Tsunami Aftermath in Penang: Bounty from Tragedy

While some fishermen pondered over how they were going to make a living after their boats and nets were trashed by the tsunami, some were smiling all the way. They were the few who had braved the warnings and went out to sea anyway and were richly rewarded. The tsunami not only washed up silt and debris. It also swept schools of royal pomfret (tau tay) closer to shore where they became easy pickings. The royal pomfret is prized for it smooth-textured flesh and could fetch up to RM40/kg. It is usually steamed whole with soy sauce. Two young fishermen in Pulau Betong earned nearly RM6,000 in one day?s work when they typically earned RM1000 only for the same amount of labour. This is like heaven sent in spite of the circumstances.

Author: Peter Tan

Peter Gabriel Tan. Penangite residing in the Klang Valley. Blissfully married to Wuan. A LaSallian through and through. Slave to three cats. Wheelchair user since 1984. End-stage renal disease since 2017. Principal Facilitator at Peter Tan Training specialising in Disability Equality Training. Former columnist of Breaking Barriers with The Borneo Post. This blog chronicles my life, thoughts and opinions. Connect with me on Twitter and Facebook.

4 thoughts on “Tsunami Aftermath in Penang: Bounty from Tragedy”

  1. That’s nice. But at least the fishermen labour hard for the money and not like some irresponsible big companies who prey on our raw nerves. BTW, 2 days ago, my family forgot about the tsunami and the rarity of fishes/seafood and wanted to order fish head curry in Gurney Drive. Goodness, it would have cost us RM40 for something that is normally RM20.

  2. Lilian,
    Like they all say, “koo koo chi tau.” But you did enjoy it, did you not?

    James,
    Thank you. Happy New Year to you too.

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