SUNGAI PETANI, MALAYSIA: A cut in power supply for six hours cost a fish breeder losses of RM1 million after some 150,000 barramundi (ikan siakap putih) died when its oxygen supply was interrupted two days ago.

Relating the incident, Lim Bun Thong, 43, said on Monday at 9.30pm the power supply was suddenly interrupted in Kampung Sungai Layar Ujung here where his two ponds of fish were located.

"Knowing that the fish would only survive for three hours without oxygen, I quickly called up the Tenaga Nasional Berhad office here," he said.

"I called the office every 10 minutes to follow-up on their progress in restoring the power supply."

The power supply was down until 3.30am on Tuesday and the dead fish started floating on the pond.

?Iwas frustrated each time I called up the TNB office. The officers gave me the same answer: that the power supply problem had been resolved.

"But it was only at 3.30am that the electricity supply was back. But it was too late." Lim said he tried to substitute the power supply with a generator but it did not work.

It was three months since the generator was last used.

"I could not do anything except look at the dead fish in both the ponds." Lim started to breed the barramundi seven months ago.

They would weigh between 600g and 2kg when fully grown and when sold to wholesalers would fetch RM12 per kilogramme for the Chinese New Year.

"The loss is unbearable and this is the first time such an incident has happened since I ve ntured into fish breeding two years ago," he said.

Lim is seeking advice from his friends whether he should take action against TNB.

Meanwhile, state TNB general manager Abdul Haris Abdul Karim said its main intake station in Taman Dahlia and Pulau Tiga here had technical problems about 10pm that night.

The problem in Taman Dahlia was resolved at 10.55pm. However, in Pulau Tiga, the interruption of power supply was only resolved at 3.30am.

Abdul Haris said the incident was unintentional and the station in Pulau Tiga was having some major technical problem.

"TNB always does its best to resolve any problem," he added.

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