The Malaysian Meteorological Department has clarified that there is no tsunami headed our way.
In a statement on its Facebook page, the department said that it was in fact conducting a communications exercise of the Indian Ocean wave (IOWAVE14) with the National Security Council, Radio Televisyen Malaysia (RTM) and the police. The exercise is scheduled to end tomorrow.
According to The Rakyat Post, rumours began after the department issued a letter informing of the exercise.
The letter contained details of an ‘expected tsunami in Langkawi, Penang and Perlis today with waves as high as 0.4m’ and that a 9.1 magnitude earthquake had hit off the coast of Southern Jawa this morning.
“We hope members of the public will ignore the false information being circulated on social networks,” the department said in a statement.
