DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, March 30: While Malaysia is generally considered to be at low risk of major earthquakes due to its position outside the Pacific Ring of Fire, Sabah and Sarawak remain more vulnerable to tremors due to their proximity to regional seismic activity zones, experts warn.
Malaysian Geological Institute president Abd Rasid Jaapar said that although the country does not sit on major tectonic plate boundaries—reducing the likelihood of large-scale quakes—minor earthquakes have been recorded in recent decades, particularly in regions such as Sabah, according to a TVS news report citing Bernama.
“Earthquakes are unpredictable in terms of location and magnitude. While Peninsular Malaysia currently faces low risk, the same cannot be said for Sabah, where tectonic pressure from the Philippine and Eurasian plates, along with active local fault lines, increases the danger,” he told Bernama.
Sarawak too has experienced notable seismic activity in the past. The State recorded its strongest quake in 1994, with a magnitude of 5.3 on the Richter scale.
Sabah, meanwhile, has seen quakes ranging from 6.0 to 6.3 in magnitude in 1923, 1958, 1976, and 2015.
The reminder comes in the wake of a powerful magnitude 7.7 earthquake that struck Myanmar recently, followed by a 6.4-magnitude aftershock. The tremors were felt as far away as Chiang Mai, Bangkok, and Ho Chi Minh City.
In Peninsular Malaysia, smaller quakes have occurred in Bukit Tinggi (Pahang), Kenyir Dam (Terengganu), Kuala Pilah (Negeri Sembilan), and parts of Perak between 1984 and 2013, with magnitudes ranging between 1.6 and 4.6.
President of the Malaysian Bumiputera Contractors Association (PKBM), Datuk Azman Yusoff, said nearly all new high-rise buildings in Malaysia over the past decade have been constructed using earthquake-resistant materials and designs.
The Department of Standards Malaysia has introduced seismic design codes to ensure structures like homes, skyscrapers, and shopping malls can withstand seismic energy without collapsing.
Meanwhile, the Malaysian Special Malaysia Disaster Assistance and Rescue Team (SMART) remains on high alert, particularly in high-risk areas like Gunung Kinabalu in Sabah, according to National Disaster Management Agency (NADMA) director-general Datuk Khairul Shahril Idrus.
He noted that SMART, recognised by the United Nations for its world-class urban search-and-rescue capabilities, regularly conducts disaster simulation exercises in Sabah and is equipped with advanced tools for earthquake response.
The Malaysian Meteorological Department (MetMalaysia) currently operates 80 seismic sensors nationwide and regionally to monitor earthquake activity.
It also manages 83 tsunami sirens and the Malaysian National Tsunami Early Warning System (SAATNM), which can disseminate information to the public within eight minutes of a detected earthquake.
Dr Khamarrul Azahari Razak, Director of the Disaster Preparedness and Prevention Centre (DPPC) at Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, stressed the need for stronger cross-sectoral preparedness, especially in high-risk zones like Sabah.
He emphasised the importance of evacuation procedures and emergency response protocols to relocate large populations to safer areas if necessary.
Following the deadly 2015 Sabah earthquake that claimed 18 lives, the DPPC has stepped up public education efforts in the state on disaster preparedness.
The Department of Minerals and Geoscience Malaysia (JMG) also published a Seismic Hazard Map for Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah, and Sarawak in 2019.
The map serves as a key reference for implementing quake-resistant building designs and outlines seismic hazard zones based on peak ground acceleration (PGA).
Authorities continue to urge the public, especially those in Sabah and Sarawak, to remain vigilant and informed, even as Malaysia’s overall seismic risk remains relatively low. — DayakDaily
