Re-analyse Malaysia’s infrastructure in facing disasters, says expert

To better prepare against future tragedies, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) seismology and earthquake engineering research group chief researcher Professor Dr Azlan Adnan suggested some guidelines that should be taken by the government and its agencies. 

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Strengthening critical buildings such as schools, hospitals and chemical or power plants should also be prioritised in addressing the potential risk of earthquakes in Malaysia, he opined. 

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Japan is one of the countries in Asia that are prone to natural disasters such as earthquakes and tsunamis have claimed thousands of lives in the past. 

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They follow three specific methods of building stabilisers, namely “Tasihin”, “Seishin” and “Menshin”. 

Taishin is the minimum requirement for Japanese earthquake-resistant buildings and requires beams, pillars and walls to be of a minimum thickness to cope with shaking. 

Seishin, meanwhile, is recommended for high-rise buildings which use dampers, essentially layers of thick rubber pads or mats that are placed on the ground below the foundations to absorb much of the energy of an earthquake. 

Lastly, Menshin is the safest and most expensive method, often used in Japanese skyscrapers and high-rise apartments.

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