Low to moderate earthquake risk for Malaysia over next 10 years, Parliament told

KUALA LUMPUR - Malaysia’s risk of experiencing earthquakes over the next 10 years is assessed to remain at a low to moderate level, says Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Minister Arthur Joseph Kurup.

He said the country’s location on the Sunda Shelf and outside the Pacific Ring of Fire gives the country a relatively stable geological setting.

However, the Ministry pointed out that this stability is not absolute, as Malaysia remains affected by tectonic stress from the interaction of major plates in the region.

“Based on continuous monitoring data conducted by the Minerals and Geoscience Department, the risk level of earthquake occurrences over the next 10 years is assessed to be within the low to moderate range, taking into account historical records, seismic activity patterns, and the country’s tectonic setting,” he said in a written reply in response to a question from Datuk Iskandar Dzulkarnain Abdul Khalid (MP for Kuala Kangsar).

Mr Iskandar had asked the ministry to state the long-term effects on the surface and structural features of the country’s landforms following recent earthquake incidents.

He also asked to clarify the status of the risk and potential frequency of earthquake occurrences in Malaysia over the next 10 years.

Datuk Seri Kurup said Sabah continues to be identified as the region with the most active seismic activity, and the possibility of moderate to strong earthquakes remains present.

“As for Peninsular Malaysia, although the risk of earthquake occurrences cannot be entirely ruled out, empirical data analysis and past records indicate that any such events are not expected to exceed a magnitude of 6,” he said.

With regard to the frequency of occurrences, to date there is no technology capable of accurately predicting the exact timing of an earthquake, added the minister.

‘However, continuous monitoring indicates that small-scale tremors are expected to continue occurring sporadically as part of the natural process of tectonic energy release,” explained Mr Kurup.

“This information will be utilised as a basis for risk assessment and national preparedness planning.”

In terms of long-term impacts on land surface structures, he said the effects of earthquakes occur cumulatively and involve changes to geological structures as well as landforms.

“Repeated seismic tremors have the potential to reactivate ancient fault lines, cause micro-structural changes in rock formations, and induce strain within the Earth’s crustal layers.

“From a geomorphological perspective, earthquake events may alter river morphology and permanently affect slope stability, as evidenced in the Ranau area following the 2015 earthquake,” he said. THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK