KUALA LUMPUR: Eleven active fault zones have been mapped across the country, including several in Peninsular Malaysia, says Acting Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Minister Datuk Seri Johari Abdul Ghani (pic).
He said the mapping project carried out by the Minerals and Geoscience Department from 2016 to 2020 identified six active faults in the peninsula: Bukit Tinggi (Pahang), Bokbak (Kedah–Perak), Terengganu, Banding (Perak), Kuala Pilah (Negri Sembilan) and Mersing (Johor).
In Sarawak, the Tubau Fault (Miri) has been mapped, while Sabah has four: Lobou-Lobou, Mensaban (Ranau), Lahad Datu and Tabin (Lahad Datu).
Johari said the department had installed six active Fault Movement Benchmark (PAPS) stations in Sabah and 47 Passive Seismic Monitoring (PAG) stations across six other states, such as Pahang, Selangor, Perak, Negri Sembilan, Sarawak and Sabah.
Plans are underway to expand fault mapping and PAPS coverage to other high-risk areas, including Johor.
He added that the department’s seismic hazard maps serve as a key reference for local authorities and engineers, who are advised to follow the Malaysia National Annex to Eurocode 8 when designing earthquake-resilient buildings.
Johari noted that while earthquakes cannot be predicted, tsunamis can be detected immediately after undersea quakes.
The Malaysian Meteorological Department operates 80 seismographic stations nationwide, supported by 323 international stations, issuing alerts within eight minutes for quakes of magnitude 3.0 or higher.
Upgrades under the 13th Malaysia Plan aim to cut this alert time to six minutes by 2026, alongside improvements to 12 seismic monitoring stations nationwide.
“These measures form a comprehensive strategy to enhance national preparedness and protect communities in seismically active areas,” he said.
Johari was responding to a written question from Datuk Seri Doris Sophia Anak Brodi (GPS–Sri Aman) on steps taken by the ministry following several minor quakes in Johor.
