Muhyiddin (right) takes a closer look at the damage caused by Friday’s earthquake at Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Agama Mohamad Ali in Ranau as Musa (left) briefs him.
KUNDASANG: The federal government will set up a Seismic Centre in Sabah to monitor earthquakes in the state, announced Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin yesterday.
He said the proposed centre would be a permanent feature, have relevant equipment, and be manned by experts in the field.
Geoscientists are also expected to conduct studies to put in place evacuation standard operating procedures (SOPs), early warning system, and training for residents living around earthquake prone areas.
A seismic centre records and provides up-to-date earthquake information for seismic events, along with a definitive compilation of earthquake information and the readings on which they are based. Mitigation of earthquake risk can be made with adequate assessment of seismic events obtained from data recorded by a centre.
“This is a very important decision that we have made for the future needs of the people of Sabah. It will be spearheaded by the federal government, with assistance from relevant agencies in the state.
“At the moment, the country already has a geo-science, but we do not have a specific unit to monitor earthquakes,” Muhyiddin told a packed impromptu media conference at the staircase of Liwagu Restaurant, which is situated within Kinabalu National Park.
During a closed-door briefing, Muhyiddin was rushed by his security personnel to safety when another strong tremor occurred. Tremors have been going on ever since the 5.9 magnitude earthquake struck on Friday.
Muhyiddin, who is also Education Minister, said the proposed centre initiative represented an immediate decision of sorts as the earthquake had drove home the need for such a facility. He added that the country needed experts in earthquakes, especially from Japan, to help construct or rebuild schools and government buildings that could withstand earthquakes and tremors.
“I visited Ranau Mosque this morning. The damage is so bad that we need to build a new mosque, which may cost up to RM7 million or RM8 million.
“As for the schools, there is no major damage. They just need repairs, which may cost a few million ringgit.”
Muhyiddin gave an assurance that the federal government would provide all the necessary funds to Sabah to help the affected victims.
“We will not overlook the needs of Sabahans. They will not be neglected. We will provide whatever they need, just like what we did for the flood victims in Peninsular Malaysia recently.
“For this need, we will give fair and square. Everybody will be treated equally. Of course, we have to give Sabah special treatment, as well.”
He announced aid of RM5,000 each to the families of all Malaysians who were killed, while the state government would give a matching grant of RM5,000 each. For those injured, the federal government and state government would each give RM2,000 to each victim. Muhyiddin also announced RM1,000 each for those who were traumatised by the incident while at the mountain top.
As for the mountain guides, he said the federal government would give reasonable compensation for their heroic and selfless acts, especially to those who helped in the search and rescue operation.
“We need to recognise their efforts. They are the ones who are the unsung heroes. They were the ones up there, did their job, and actually executed it well. Perhaps, due to their efforts, they have reduced the number of casualties.
“We would like to offer our condolences to the victims and their families. We pray that they will remain patient at this trying time. For those who have been doing search and rescue, we would also like to take this opportunity to thank them, as well.”
Present at the press conference were Chief Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Musa Aman, Deputy Chief Ministers Tan Sri Pairin Kitingan and Datuk Seri Panglima Yahya Hussain.