Johor earthquakes force Malaysia to confront ‘no-risk’ building code myth

Seven tremors were recorded between August 24 and 31, including a magnitude 4.1 quake centred around the quiet inland town of Segamat in Johor’s northern region, according to data from the Malaysian Meteorological Department (MetMalaysia).

Further tremors, albeit weaker, were felt throughout the week in the nearby districts of Yong Peng, Kluang and Batu Pahat, causing minor building damage and ground cracks to appear in several areas.

“We can no longer think of the peninsula as a ‘no-risk’ zone” for earthquakes, according to Nor Shahidah Mohd Nazer, an expert in engineering geology and soil mechanics with the Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia.

Nor Shahidah said the latest series of quakes should spur Malaysian authorities to review building codes in areas prone to seismic shocks, with a focus on reinforcing critical infrastructure such as hospitals, schools, dams and major bridges.

“We can’t predict earthquakes, but we can prepare for their possibility based on both historical records and current data,” she told This Week in Asia.

Malaysia is located outside the Pacific Ring of Fire – a tectonic belt that covers about two-thirds of the world and includes active volcanoes and earthquake-prone areas in Southeast Asian neighbours Indonesia and the Philippines, and Japan further north.

But it does not preclude Malaysia from seismic shifts.