Strong 7.1-magnitude quake hits off Malaysia’s Sabah state; some in S’pore say they felt tremors
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The epicentre of the earthquake that struck early on Feb 23 was located less than 100km north-east of Sabah state capital Kota Kinabalu.
PHOTO: SCREENGRAB FROM USGS
KUALA LUMPUR – A strong 7.1-magnitude quake struck early on Feb 23 off Malaysia’s Sabah state on Borneo island, US seismologists said.
The epicentre of the quake was located less than 100km north-east of the coastal state capital, Kota Kinabalu, at a depth of 619.8km, the US Geological Survey (USGS) said.
The quake struck at 12.57am.
The USGS rated the likelihood of casualties or damage as low, and the US Tsunami Warning Centre did not issue an alert, saying the depth of the quake meant tsunami activity was not expected.
The Malaysian Meteorological Department put the quake’s magnitude at 6.8, adding that tremors were felt on Sabah’s west coast and in several areas of Sarawak state and Peninsular Malaysia.
The previous strongest earthquake in Malaysia occurred on June 5, 2015, in Ranau, Sabah. The 6.0-magnitude quake claimed the lives of 18 people, including Singaporeans.
Malaysian news agency Bernama said the Sabah Fire and Rescue Department Operations Centre had informed it that no incidents had been reported following the earthquake.
“All stations are patrolling and monitoring their areas to ensure public safety and keep the situation under control,” the department said.
Many took to social media to share their experiences.
“I was so shocked that I was woken up from sleep,” said Mr Brauer Kong on Facebook, who added that he lives in the Sarawak town of Miri, some 420km away from Kota Kinabalu.
A Kota Kinabalu resident with the handle Handz Apeq Keychie noted that he initially thought he was feeling faint but subsequently realised it was a tremor. “My apartment unit was located on the lower floor and I felt the building sway,” he said on Facebook.
Some netizens in Singapore, in several locations such as Toa Payoh, Balestier and Punggol, said they felt the tremors.
On Reddit, user dcburn, who lives in the East Coast area, said it was “one of the strongest tremors” he had ever felt in Singapore.
Facebook user Soniakaur Soniasingh said she felt “a bit (of a) shake” when watching a movie at her home in Ang Mo Kio.
“I thought (in) my head my high blood pressure was up. Suddenly spinning, giddiness... Even my daughter (who) was on the way home from Bishan to Ang Mo Kio felt the shaking.”
Singapore’s Met Service said on its website in an update at 1.13am on Feb 23 that the quake was located about 1,500km from Singapore, and that there were no reports of tremors and no tsunami advisory.
According to the National Library Board’s Singapore Infopedia online platform, there are no records of earthquakes occurring in the Republic as the island is located outside earthquake zones.
But Singapore does periodically experience low-level earth tremors
Malaysia, however, does experience occasional tremors despite a similar quake-free reputation. This is due to the presence of minor fault lines and geological features within its borders.
On Aug 24, 2025, Malaysia experienced a 4.1-magnitude quake in Segamat, Johor,
A second, milder tremor with a magnitude of 2.8
Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Minister Arthur Joseph Kurup said earlier in February that Malaysia’s risk of experiencing earthquakes over the next 10 years is assessed to remain at a low to moderate level.
He said the country’s location on the Sunda Shelf and outside the Pacific Ring of Fire gives it a relatively stable geological setting.
However, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability pointed out that this stability is not absolute as Malaysia remains affected by tectonic stress from the interaction of major plates in the region. AFP
Additional reporting by Eileen Ng
