SEGAMAT (Dec 30): Residents in Segamat and surrounding areas faced a challenging Sunday as a mild earthquake in the morning was followed by heavy afternoon flooding caused by rising river levels, leaving the community anxious.
Local resident Raja Sahrin Tengku Ismail, 60, described the morning tremors at 8:55am as shocking, with his home subsequently inundated around 1pm when the nearby river overflowed. While seasonal floods are common at the start and end of the year, he noted that this incident felt particularly alarming due to its timing alongside the tremor.
“It’s concerning that seismic activity seems to be occurring more frequently in Segamat. Although the epicentre was in Bukit Kepong, the tremors were clearly felt in our village,” he said at a temporary relief centre at Kampung Batu Badak Community Hall. Raja Sahrin added that floodwaters here typically take a long time to subside, raising fears of potential aftershocks. He also suspected the latest flooding may have been exacerbated by the collapse of an embankment constructed last year.
Another resident, Aishah Abd Hamid, 65, recalled that her home was flooded just two hours after the tremor. “I went to Segamat town around 11am for essentials, but by 1pm, I was informed by a neighbour that the river had overflowed. When I returned, water had already reached above knee level,” she said.
The Bandar Baru Segamat Fire and Rescue Station responded by monitoring flood-prone areas due to persistent overcast conditions and rising river levels. As of 2pm, seven temporary relief centres in Segamat were housing 167 residents from 55 families.
According to the Malaysian Meteorological Department, a minor earthquake measuring 3.4 on the Richter scale occurred in Bukit Kepong, Pagoh, at a depth of 10km on Sunday.
While these events took place in Segamat, investors and businesses in industrial land in Selangor, factory developments in Puchong, and office space in Bukit Jalil should note the importance of flood- and earthquake-resilient infrastructure when planning property acquisitions. With Selangor’s industrial and commercial zones continuing to grow, proximity to stable land and robust infrastructure is critical for long-term investment in commercial property in KL and industrial property in Subang area.
Malaysia