Malaysia experience 100 localised earthquakes annually, says MetMalaysia

SHAH ALAM - Data by the Malaysian Meteorological Department (MetMalaysia) shows some 759 earthquakes with a magnitude of 2.0 (MI) were recorded from 2015 to March 2022 in the country.

The seven year record shows that Malaysian is not only reeling from the aftershocks of earthquakes in neighbouring countries but also experiencing it at a local level.

The numbers indicated that on average Malaysia recorded 100 active seismic activities in a year.

According to Met Malaysia Director General Muhammad Helmi Abdullah, a few areas in Peninsular Malaysia such as Bukit Tinggi, Jerantut, Temenggor and Kuala Pilah also experience localise earthquakes which were often cause by landslides or active fault lines.

“There are a few major potential active fault lines which were identified to have some correlation with localised earthquakes.

“As an example, earthquakes with a moderate magnitude such in Lahad Datu, with the magnitude of 5.6 in 1976 and 6.0 in Ranau on June 5, 2015, were the result of existing active fault lines in Sabah,’’ he said.

Apart from localised earthquakes, Sabah and Sarawak are also vulnerable to earthquakes that occur in the Southern Philippines and North of Sulawesi.

Malaysia is located between two borders of active tectonic plates which is the clash between the Indo-Australian and Eurasian tectonic plates on the West coast and the clash of the Eurasian and Philippines sea tectonic plate on the East coast.

“Aftershocks from high a high magnitude earthquake in these locations can be felt in Malaysia. Apart from that, aftershocks felt along Malaysia’s west coast mostly originated from high magnitude earthquakes in Sumatera or the Andaman sea,’’ he said.

According to Met Malaysia, among the strong earthquake incidents that occur in the country was in Lahad Datu on July 26, 1976, with a magnitude of 5.8.

There was also the earthquake in Ranau in 2015 with a magnitude of 6.0 that had led to the loss of 18 lives.

Previously Sinar Ahad had quoted Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) head researcher of the Seismology and Earthquake Engineering Research Group Professor Dr Azlan Adnan that an earthquake with a magnitude of 5.0 can occur in the country.