BATU PAHAT - “The house felt like it was swaying, followed by a loud booming sound.”
That was the experience of Tongkang Pechah resident Raja Fatimah Raja Rahim, 36, when she felt the tremor from the 4.4-magnitude earthquake that struck the Batu Pahat waters at 4.55pm on Tuesday.
She said the incident, which occurred while she was resting at home, startled her as it was the first time she had experienced such a tremor.
“This is the first time I have felt an earthquake tremor, although earthquakes have previously been reported in this area.
“My children, who were at school, were also allowed to return home early as a safety precaution,” she told Sinar when contacted on Tuesday.
Sinar previously reported that a weak 4.4-magnitude earthquake struck the Batu Pahat waters.
The Malaysian Meteorological Department (MetMalaysia) said the earthquake occurred at a depth of 10 kilometres (km), with tremors also felt in Batu Pahat and surrounding areas.
Another resident, Sa’diah Markom, 53, from Kampung Sri Medan, said the tremor she felt lasted only a few seconds but was enough to startle her.
She said she did not experience dizziness or lose her balance during the incident, but was concerned as she had never experienced such a situation before.
“I did not feel dizzy or lose my balance, but I was certainly startled because I have never felt an earthquake tremor before.
“Although it was not as severe as earthquakes overseas, the situation was still worrying. To me, this is like a test or reminder for all of us,” she said.