Technical studies on faulty tsunami buoys will be done soon: Wan Azizah

PUTRAJAYA: A comprehensive study including especially on the technical aspects will be done as soon as possible to look into the need to replace faulty buoys with data sensors for early tsunami warning, said Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail (pix).
Dr Wan Azizah, who is also National Disaster Management Committee chairman, said the buoys were very important to face tsunamis in the event of earthquakes in Indonesia as Malaysia could also be impacted.
"The 2004 Aceh earthquake disaster is a constant reminder and were must be on the alert always. This is something very important that we must do quickly (address the faulty buoys situation) ," she told a press conference after the 6th Asean Ministers Meeting on Disaster Management and Related Meetings here today.
Dr Wan Azizah, who is also Women, Family and Community Development Minister, also praised the Malaysian Meteorology Department for doing the study after finding that all three buoys in place are no longer functioning.
"When you know they (buoys) are not working, therefore you need to take remedies," she said.
The media today reported that all three deep-sea buoys employed by Malaysia to collect data for the tsunami early warning system had to be written off as they were no longer working.
The Norway-built buoys costing RM7.2 million were deployed in 2006 in three locations – the Andaman Sea, Sulu Sea and South China Sea.
The project on the tsunami buoys or tsunameters was a result of a collaboration between Malaysia and Indonesia in the aftermath of the Aceh tsunami disaster in 2004 that claimed more than 230,000 lives from 14 countries including Malaysia. — Bernama