Have you noticed that lately news about earthquakes in Peninsular Malaysia has been getting more attention?
When mentioning earthquakes in Malaysia, many may immediately think of Sabah because the state is more synonymous with seismic activity.
But in fact, the Peninsular also has a record of local earthquakes and several incidents occurred in areas that may not be expected. So, are earthquakes in the Peninsular becoming more frequent or is this just a coincidence?
From Segamat, Johor to Temenggor, Perak, several earthquakes have been recorded between 2025 and 2026.
August 24, 2025: Major Earthquake Shakes Segamat
The series of events in Segamat began on August 24, 2025 when a magnitude 4.1 earthquake occurred at 6.13 am, about 5 kilometers west of Segamat at a depth of 10 kilometers.
Tremors were felt in several areas in Johor, in addition to Melaka, Negeri Sembilan and southern Pahang.
24 August 2025: Second Aftershock Occurs Hours Later
Before the situation had calmed down, another earthquake measuring 2.8 was recorded at 9 am, about three hours after the main earthquake.
The epicenter was located about 28 kilometers northwest of Kluang, near the Yong Peng area. This event is considered an aftershock and is also linked to the Mersing Fault Zone.
27 August 2025: Third Aftershock
Three days later, on 27 August, seismic activity continued when a 3.2 magnitude earthquake occurred at 8.59 am.
The epicenter was about 18 kilometers south of Segamat, at a depth of 10 kilometers.
28 August 2025: Fourth Aftershock
On 28 August, another earthquake measuring 2.5 occurred at 7.56 pm, about 13 kilometers north of Segamat.
Tremors were also felt in several areas around Johor.
29 August 2025: 3.4 Earthquake
The next day, 29 August, a magnitude 3.4 earthquake was recorded at 4.24 am, about 22 kilometres northeast of Segamat.
This was another aftershock in a series of events that occurred in the area.
30 August 2025: Continuing Series of Earthquakes
On 30 August, another magnitude 2.7 earthquake occurred at 7.29 am, with the epicentre only about 2 kilometres northwest of Segamat.
28 August 2026: Temenggor, Perak Also Shakes
Almost a year after the series of earthquakes in Segamat, Temenggor, Gerik, Perak recorded a magnitude 3.4 earthquake on 28 August 2026, exactly at 12.06 am.
The earthquake occurred at a depth of 10 kilometres and its epicentre was located about 9 kilometres northeast of Hulu Perak. Tremors felt around Gerik.
What is the statement from MET?
MET Malaysia explained that Peninsular Malaysia such as Bukit Tinggi, Jerantut, Temenggor and Kuala Pilah have indeed experienced local earthquakes.
According to MET, this incident is related to the existence of active slip or fault lines in the Peninsula.
What does it mean? A fault line is a crack or fracture zone in the earth's rocks that can experience movement between two blocks of rock.
When there is sudden movement along a fault, the accumulated energy can be released in the form of seismic waves and cause tremors on the surface.
MET Malaysia also distinguishes between local earthquakes and tremors from earthquakes that occur outside Malaysia.
For example, tremors felt on the west coast of the Peninsula can be caused by large earthquakes centered in Sumatra or the Andaman Sea.
On the other hand, earthquakes in areas such as Bukit Tinggi, Jerantut, Temenggor and Kuala Pilah are linked to fault activity in the Peninsula itself.
Is the Peninsula Becoming More Active?
Although several events occurred in a relatively short period of time, it is not enough to prove that the entire Peninsula is currently experiencing an unusual increase in earthquakes.
What is clear is that local earthquakes can indeed occur in the Peninsula and fault activity is one of the factors that needs to be monitored.
Long-term seismological records are important to determine whether there is indeed a change in the pattern and frequency of earthquakes.
