SEGAMAT: The federal government recommends that the Segamat and Batu Pahat districts be included in the Malaysian Seismic Hazard Zone Map to ensure future safety aspects and building designs in these areas account for seismic factors.
Deputy Works Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Maslan said that updating the hazard zone map will allow all development projects in these regions to be designed using high-quality concrete and steel details according to the MS EN 1998 National Annex standard, enabling them to withstand earthquakes.
“The seismic factor requirement in this analysis is calculated based on the site’s location according to the Peak Ground Acceleration (PGA) Hazard Map in the National Annex.
“Currently, Segamat is not included in the hazard zone, so building designs here are not required to meet higher seismic standards. However, this recent earthquake incident highlights the need to update the hazard map to include Segamat and Batu Pahat,” he explained.
He made these comments after receiving an earthquake briefing from the Segamat Public Works Department (JKR) and visiting several affected government buildings on Monday (Sept 8).
The Minerals and Geoscience Department (JMG) produced the Malaysian Seismic Hazard Zone Map as a reference for geodisaster management, offering an overview of the seismic tremor levels that Malaysia might experience, based on zones with different scales.
This information is crucial in supporting infrastructure development planning, raising public awareness about disaster risks, and strengthening the preparedness of relevant agencies to face potential earthquake incidents.
Ahmad also proposed installing seismometers in risk areas to provide early warnings if tremors occur on a certain scale.
“This is important to ensure that people are better prepared. We want every government building and public infrastructure constructed in the future to be truly durable and safe to use,” he said.
Currently, there are 80 seismic stations nationwide, including six in Johor, with two in Johor Baru and one each in Kluang, Batu Pahat, Mersing, and Kota Tinggi.
Earlier, he mentioned that 15 government buildings were identified as having suffered minor damage, with repair costs estimated at RM550,000, alongside 62 private houses and two surau also affected.
Johor was reported to have experienced at least eight tremors from Aug 24 to Sept 3, including six in Segamat and two in Batu Pahat. – Bernama
