By DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, Oct 24: Niah in Sarawak has been identified among 14 hotspot areas across Malaysia where earthquakes are likely to occur.
Acting Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Minister Datuk Seri Johari Ghani said the list of areas also includes Ranau and Lahad Datu in Sabah; Bukit Tinggi and Janda Baik in Pahang; Batang Kali and Ulu Yam in Selangor; and Kuala Pilah in Negeri Sembilan.
“Other areas include Kenyir in Terengganu, Manjung and Temenggor in Perak, as well as Mersing, Segamat, and Batu Pahat in Johor,” he said during the question-and-answer session in Parliament as quoted by NST on Thursday (Oct 23).
Johari (BN–Titiwangsa) was responding to Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman (Muar–Muda), who asked whether Malaysia has updated its data in light of climate change and recent earthquakes, and if the country’s building structures are designed to withstand seismic activity.
He said that although Malaysia lies outside the Pacific Ring of Fire, it remains vulnerable to tremors triggered by major earthquakes in neighbouring Indonesia and the Philippines, as well as smaller, local quakes recorded particularly in Sabah, Sarawak, and several areas in Peninsular Malaysia.
“Earthquakes cannot be predicted, and tsunamis can only be forecast after an undersea quake occurs. To date, no technology exists that can predict earthquakes before they happen,” Johari said.
He added that the Malaysian Meteorological Department (MetMalaysia) is continuously enhancing its earthquake monitoring and tsunami early warning capabilities through the Malaysian Tsunami Early Warning System, which is being upgraded to reduce the current warning time from eight minutes to six by 2026.
Currently, there are 80 seismic stations operating nationwide, supported by 323 international stations that provide real-time data.
Johari said MetMalaysia is also collaborating with the Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre, South China Sea Tsunami Advisory Centre, and Indian Ocean Tsunami Warning and Mitigation System to ensure faster, more accurate, and reliable alerts in the event of seismic threats. — DayakDaily
