NADMA’s Saiful Yazan Alwi says Malaysia needs an earthquake SOP and a multi-hazard early warning system that also guides affected residents on what to do.
JOHOR BAHRU: The National Disaster Management Agency (NADMA) wants to strengthen Malaysia’s ability to respond to earthquakes, following concerns that such disasters are occurring more frequently, including in Johor.
NADMA Disaster Planning and Preparedness Division deputy director-general Saiful Yazan Alwi said preparations for such disasters are currently not as well-defined as those for other disasters such as floods, which already have more complete procedures and operating protocols.
He said NADMA had also held discussions with relevant parties, including the Minerals and Geoscience Department Malaysia, to deepen understanding and strengthen the country’s readiness for earthquake risks.
“We are worried. In the past, earthquakes rarely happened, but now they occur occasionally. I feel they are becoming more frequent, and we are not prepared.
“Floods appear to be well covered. We already have a standard operating procedure (SOP), but we need to develop one for earthquakes,” he said during his keynote address at the National Climate Forum 2026 at Universiti Teknologi Malaysia today.
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NADMA-EARTHQUAKE 2 (LAST) JOHOR BAHRU
Saiful Yazan said developments related to fault line movements also require special attention, especially if there is an increased frequency of earthquakes.
He said that unlike countries within the Pacific Ring of Fire such as Indonesia, the Philippines and Japan, Malaysia does not have earthquakes on the same scale and frequency.
He said Malaysia needs to move towards a multi-hazard early warning system capable of issuing alerts for various types of disasters through a single integrated system.
He said this approach is more comprehensive than the separate warning systems used for specific disasters such as floods and tsunamis.
He said future warning systems should not merely inform the public about disaster threats, but must include guidance on actions for affected residents.
The forum brought together more than 500 participants to strengthen the nation’s readiness for extreme weather, climate change and disaster risks through the sharing of knowledge, research, expertise and cross-sector cooperation.