KUALA LUMPUR: Twenty earthquake sensors that can detect minor and strong tremors are being installed nationwide, including seven in Sabah. Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim said the matter was being implemented by the Meteorological Department and all the sensors were expected to be operational by year’s end.
“The installation of the 20 sensors is to complement the existing 44 sensors to detect minor and strong tremors.
“However based on current technology used in developed countries such as Japan, none of these devises were invented to give early earthquake warnings due to the nature of this disaster that occurred suddenly,” he said when winding up the debate on the 11th Malaysia Plan in the Dewan Negara here yesterday. He was replying to the suggestions by several senators that the government installed earthquake sensors to provide early warnings before an earthquake occurred. He said based on the activity of the earth plate movements and active faults in Sabah, earthquakes such as the one on June 5, could recur in the state.
On June 5, the earthquake measuring 5.9 on the Richter scale rocked Ranau, Sabah and claimed 18 lives, involving 14 climbers and four mountain guides that also included foreigners. Prior to the June 5 natural disaster, he said the strongest earthquake ever recorded in Sabah was in 1976 in Lahad Datu which destroyed the structures of building in the district. “However there is still room for improvement by looking at the asset requirements to face earthquakes such as the one that occurred last June 5,” he added. — Bernama