An elderly couple have died after eating poisonous pufferfish as their family call for tougher laws on serving the dish.
Ng Chuan Sing and his wife Lim Siew Guan, from Malaysia, died hours after tucking into the controversial delicacy, the cooking of which is governed by strict laws in some countries due some parts being highly toxic.
Officials in the state of Johor believe the couple, in their early eighties, unknowingly purchased at least two pufferfish from an online vendor on March 25.
But after Ms Guan fried the fish for lunch earlier this month, the couple began suffering from "breathing difficulties and shivers".
Both were rushed to hospital and admitted to intensive care, with Lim pronounced dead at 7pm.
Ng fell into a coma for eight days, daughter Ng Ai Lee said, but his condition worsened and he died on Saturday morning.
Giving a press conference at the couple’s home on Sunday, Ms Lee called for stronger laws in Malaysia, where at least 30 species of pufferfish are commonly found in surrounding waters.
“Those responsible for their deaths should be held accountable under the law and I hope the authorities will speed up investigations,” she said.
“I also hope the Malaysian government will beef up enforcement and help to raise public awareness on pufferfish poisoning to prevent such incidents from happening again.”
Malaysian law prohibits the sale of poisonous and harmful food like pufferfish meat and the offense carries a fine of RM10,000 (£1,800) or a prison term of up to two years.
In Japan and Korea, where the fish is also a delicacy, only chefs with at least three years' experience are legally allowed to prepare the fish due to the levels of tetrodotoxin, attracting many thrill seekers to try it.
In 2020, food poisoning killed three people in the Philippines after they ate pufferfish - also known as fugu - from a local barbecue stand.
The Malaysian health ministry meanwhile said 58 poisoning incidents involving pufferfish consumption, including 18 deaths, had been reported in the country between 1985 and 2023.
Despite the dangers, poisonous pufferfish are sold at many Malaysian wet markets, experts said.
“It’s considered exotic and tends to attract consumers,” said Aileen Tan, a marine biologist and director at the Universiti Sains Malaysia Centre for Marine and Coastal Studies.
“Once pufferfish have been cleaned and sold as slices, it is nearly impossible for the public to know the type of fish that they purchased,” Ms Tan warned.
“As for sellers, it is debatable on their (part) if they are aware (of the risks).”“There needs to be more awareness about the risks of consuming puffer fish – maybe authorities need to look at special certifications for vendors and suppliers,” she said.
The couple's deaths sparked a public outcry and outpouring of sympathy, authorities are investigating who sold them the fish.
“The state district health office has opened investigations under the Food Act 1983… and carried out an investigation on the ground to identify the supplier, wholesaler and seller of the pufferfish,” Ling Tian Soon, chief of the Johor Health and Unity Committee, said on Sunday.
The country's health department would now be holding talks with the Fisheries Development Authority of Malaysia, a government agency overseeing seafood supplies in the country, as well as local experts on the matter.
“Information on pufferfish has also been posted on the Health Ministry’s Food Safety and Quality Facebook page,” Ling said.
“We urge the public to be careful when choosing their food, especially if it has known risks.”
