Residents Still Shaken Over Johor Tremors

---

 
Scary experience: (From left) Khalifa, Kartik and tey were totally unprepared while yuneswaran urges residents to rely on official channels for tremor updates. —THOMAS YONG/The Star
SEGAMAT: When the ground shook beneath their feet, some residents here were gripped in fear while others were in disbelief and shocked when the first earthquake struck on Aug 24.
Assistant grocery store manager Khalifa Khalidi, 27, said she and her mother, from Kampung Jabi, were stunned and never expected an earthquake to hit Segamat.
“I was preparing to go to work, and my mother said there was a huge sound coming from outside our house, like a low-flying plane.
“All our neighbours came out, but they did not give it much thought. No one was really afraid,” she added.
But for S. Kartik Raja, the experience of going through several tremors was far more unsettling.
The 26-year-old teacher from Jementah said he felt the 4.1-magnitude quake on Aug 24 as he was preparing to leave for work.
“The first tremor sounded like a bomb and felt like the whole house was going to collapse. It lasted only a few seconds, but it shook me.
“I was worried when I saw the glass cupboard in my house shaking, but thankfully, there was no damage.
“However, many car alarms in my neighbourhood went off at the same time,” he said.
Signs of damage: Residents Ramlah Ishak (left) and her sister Umi Kalsom Ishak showing significant soil cracks in the garden area behind their house, believed to have been caused by tremors from an earthquake. — Bernama
Kampung Baru Bukit Siput village chief Tey Ching Hoon said it was a scary experience.
“All of us have never experienced earthquakes, and to be hit with several tremors again after the first one is scary,” she said.
On Wednesday, the Segamat district office had organised an earthquake disaster risk management programme.
Segamat MP R. Yuneswaran said the event brought together government agencies, village heads and the public.
“Many speculations and fake news have been circulating, including claims that underground gas explosions or even a meteor strike caused the tremors. These claims are completely untrue,” he said when met at the forum held at Dewan Serbaguna Jalan Genuang here.
He stressed that the tremors were the result of tectonic activity outside Malaysia, mainly linked to seismic movements in Indonesia, and not due to any local phenomena.
“Some people believe Segamat was in the direct line in the Pacific Ring of Fire, but experts clarified this was not the case. The impact came from neighbouring regions, not within Malaysia,” he added.
He said the forum featured briefings from the Mineral and Geoscience Department, the Malaysian Meteorological Department and the National Disaster Management Agency (Nadma).
“These agencies provided scientific explanations on what happened, and guidance on how to manage risks if such incidents occur again.”
Yuneswaran noted that since the first earthquake struck on Aug 24, four tremors had been recorded, leading to over 60 police reports, several cases of minor property damage, but no loss of lives.
“The district office, police, Nadma and other relevant authorities have been monitoring the situation closely from day one. A task force was set up immediately to coordinate responses,” he said.
While acknowledging public fear, Yuneswaran, who is also a member of the parliamentary committee on disaster risk management, urged residents to rely on official channels for updates instead of unverified claims.
He called for disaster awareness to be included in school education, citing Japan’s success in instilling risk management knowledge from an early age.
Yuneswaran said there were ongoing collaborations between Universiti Teknologi Malaysia and Japanese institutions to strengthen local disaster preparedness.
At least five tremors were recorded in Segamat between Aug 24 and Aug 30.
The strongest tremor, with a magnitude of 4.1, hit at 6.13am on Aug 24. - Star

---