'Always stay cautious': MetMalaysia warns of ongoing aftershocks in Johor

Those living in Johor should be cautious of aftershocks from recent earthquakes, said the Malaysian Meteorological Department (MetMalaysia).

MetMalaysia's director-general, Mohd Hisham Mohd Anip warned that aftershocks along the ancient Mersing fault line may still occur until all the energy along the fault line is fully released, reported The Star on Sunday (Sept 7).

This follows a spate of earthquakes in Johor, with the most recent 2.9-magnitude tremor being detected near Sri Medan, Parit Sulong, Johor on Sept 3. 

Johor also experienced seven earthquakes in the last week of August, with the strongest quake in Segamat registering 4.1-magnitude.

According to Dr Hisham, energy along the fault line has yet to reach equilibrium.

"While Segamat is quite a distance from Mersing, the fault connectivity is believed to continue underground and functions as a weak zone in the earth's crust," he told The Star, adding that the tremors were a result of regional crustal plate pressure, which subsequently reactiva­ted the ancient Mersing Fault Zone.

Dr Hisham said that the tremors in Johor were "weak" and are "not expected to bring any major impact" as most earthquakes in the peninsula do not exceed a 5.0-magnitude, making the risk of a major earthquake extremely low.

"However, the public must always stay cautious and refer to official information from the department," he said, adding that MetMalaysia is continuing to monitor the situation.

Stronger quakes can trigger tsunamis

Separately, disaster management expert Raja Segaran KuppusamyTremors told the New Straits Times on Saturday (Sept 6) that tremors in Johor should be treated as early warning signs - given that stronger quakes could trigger landslides, floods, tsunamis and severe damage to roads, bridges and high-rise buildings.

He then called for a more holistic approach across state, district, and grassroots levels to enhance awareness. 

The former head engineer for disaster risk reduction at the United Nations' International Organisation for Migration in Iraq also pointed out that although Malaysia lies outside the Pacific Ring of Fire, it is increasingly affected by the active Sunda plate.

"If we fail to implement prevention, mitigation and preparedness plans now, the risk of bigger disasters such as tsunamis, landslides and stronger quakes will rise in the future," he said.

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dana.leong@asiaone.com