Remembering Malaysia’s brush with tsunamis

Our coastlines may look serene, but beneath them lurk tectonic plates in motion. (Freepik pic)

PETALING JAYA: Nov 5 is designated World Tsunami Awareness Day – a global reminder that even seemingly peaceful coastlines must remain vigilant at all times.

In Malaysia, the horror of the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami lingers, but it is the ongoing upgrades and improvements in monitoring and early-warning systems that show how far the country has come in terms of preparedness.

For instance, in April 2025 the Malaysian Meteorological Department (MetMalaysia) began rolling out its first major upgrade in over a decade to tsunami sirens across nine states – reaching remote fishing villages as well as holiday resorts.

While no major tsunami has struck Malaysia since then, the upgrades are a reminder that risks haven’t vanished.

Our country’s coastlines may look serene, but beneath them lurk tectonic plates in motion and fault lines capable of change at any moment.

Here’s a look at key tsunami-related moments – real hits and near misses – that have shaped Malaysia’s preparedness.

2004: Indian Ocean Tsunami

The Indian Ocean tsunami shocked the nation when several parts of Malaysia were ravaged. (Marufish pic)

The Dec 26, 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami stands among the deadliest in modern history, striking several South and Southeast Asian nations.

Once thought safely distant from such calamities, Malaysia’s sense of security was shattered when, at about 12.45pm, nearly four hours after a magnitude 9.1 quake off Sumatra, the first tsunami wave entered the northern Straits of Malacca.

While Malaysia’s west coast escaped the catastrophic damage seen in Aceh and Thailand, the impact was still severe. Sixty-eight Malaysians died – 52 in Penang, 12 in Kedah, three in Perak and one in Selangor.

Waves along Penang and Langkawi rose between two and three metres, with run-ups reaching five metres in some areas.

In Kuala Muda, Kedah, fishing villages were battered and revetments damaged, while in Penang, the beaches of Pasir Panjang, Tanjung Bungah and Batu Ferringhi saw the sea retreat, then surge back with deadly force.

Why this matters: the tragedy shattered the belief that Malaysia’s coast was entirely immune. It triggered a national push towards early-warning systems, coastal hazard mapping, and public-awareness campaigns led by MetMalaysia and other agencies.

2012: Aceh aftershock, a Malaysian alert

The 2012 aftershock served as a real-time test of Malaysia’s early warning systems. (Reuters pic)

On April 11, 2012, a magnitude 8.6 earthquake struck off Sumatra, about 430 km from Banda Aceh, triggering an Indian Ocean-wide tsunami alert.

Tremors were felt across Peninsular Malaysia, from Kuala Lumpur to Perlis, as anxious residents evacuated buildings.

MetMalaysia issued a tsunami alert for Kedah, Perlis, Langkawi, Penang and Perak, urging people to stay away from beaches.

Why this matters: Although no significant waves reached Malaysian shores, the incident served as a real-time test of the country’s early warning systems and public readiness – proof that even without impact, preparedness remains key.

2018: Sabah on tsunami watch after regional quakes

Sabah was placed on a tsunami watch after earthquakes shook parts of the Philippines. (AFP pic)

In October 2018, after more than two dozen earthquakes shook Mindanao, Sulawesi, and the Lesser Sunda Islands, MetMalaysia placed Sabah on tsunami watch.

The quakes – ranging between magnitude 4.4 and 6.0 – raised concerns that an undersea tremor could trigger waves reaching Sabah’s northern and eastern coasts with little or no warning.

MetMalaysia worked around the clock with Philippine and Indonesian agencies, monitoring seismic movements across the Celebes and Sulu Seas.

Although no tsunami struck, officials reminded the public that Sabah sits near the edges of three major tectonic plates – the Eurasian, Philippine, and Pacific – which collide and shift by several centimetres each year.

Why this matters: This event underscored that tsunami risk isn’t confined to Penang or Kedah – East Malaysia, too, lies close enough to the Pacific’s seismic zones to warrant vigilance.

5 thoughts on “Remembering Malaysia’s brush with tsunamis”

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