OUR country was shocked by the earthquake that occurred in Ranau, Sabah, last week, which is the worst tremor in Malaysian history and the first earthquake involving fatalities.
Although Malaysia is located outside the Asia-Pacific Ring of Fire and has low exposure to volcanic explosions and earthquakes, the tremor showed that this location is no longer a guarantee that our country is secure from this disaster.
We should be prepared for temblors in the future by forming a department specialising in monitoring seismic activity. Its role will be to observe the movement of the earth’s crust, determine the location and size of significant earthquakes, and disseminate the information to the authorities and the public.
We have the Malaysian Meteorological Department that monitors weather and natural disasters. Its expertise is in supervising disasters such as floods, typhoons and tsunamis, but it does not have the expertise to monitor anything pertaining to geology.
Malaysia can look to other countries with specific departments that specialise in monitoring and researching earthquakes. For example, the United States has the National Earthquake Information Centre that functions as a national data centre and archive for earthquake information.
With such a department here, people can get information and be prepared before an earthquake happens. It will not necessarily guarantee our safety, but at least it will reduce injuries and minimise property damage.
Mohamad Zaifuan Zulkaflee, Raub, Pahang