GEORGE TOWN - A Chinese temple in Penang has been drawing
visitors from as far as Singapore for the past six months - thanks
to four huge fishes.
People have been queueing up for a chance to touch the fishes
after many claimed that it has changed their luck and allowed them
to even strike a small fortune in 4D after doing so.
The Hean Leng Kong temple in Jalan Aziz Ibrahim, Sungai Nibong,
is especially packed if the weekends coincide with the first or
15th day of the lunar month, considered as "good days".
The fish is of the Arapaima gigas species - which can grow up to
2m and 200kg - and is known locally as the dragonfish.
Considered one of the largest freshwater fish in the world, the
species is not indigenous to the country and is from the Amazon
basin in South America.
Waitress Alice Tan, 60, said that after touching the fish, she
struck third prize with the number 4093.
The number 093 is for the goldfish in the Cheng Jee Tor
(Thousand-Number Guide in Hokkien), a booklet of numbers from 000
to 999 representing an item or an action.
Tan said one must first offer prayers to the God of Prosperity
at the temple before touching the fish.
"After coming into contact with the fish, you must use the water
in the pond to wash your face, hands and legs.
"Don't bathe or wash yourself until the lottery results are out.
If you bathe, this means that you will wash away your ong (luck),"
said Tan, who scooped a bottle of water from the pond to "clean"
the number plate of her motorcycle in the hope of striking another
number.
Stall helper Kee Bock Cheng, 55, said she struck a small fortune
after a friend recommended her the temple.
"You must touch the fish from head to tail. If you only manage
to touch the tail, this means you can only strike the bear sai
(consolation prize in Hokkien)," she said. "If the fish doesn't
come to you, this means that you are luckless."
Kee said from her observation, only those who were lucky could
come into contact with the fish.
Landscape worker B. Muniandy, 36, said he joined in the fun only
after seeing so many people trying to touch the fish.
"Hopefully, I can strike it rich after this," he said.
Temple vice-chairman Low Ah Lek, 70, said there used to be five
dragonfish before one of them died after jumping out of the
pond.
The fishes, he said, were put in the pond by the temple's former
chairman last year.
"Word of mouth spread rapidly after some claimed that the
dragonfish brought them luck. Even Singaporeans would come here to
check out the fish. We've applied for a licence to keep the fish
and it's still pending," he said.
