South-Eastern Asia
What tectonic plate is Malaysia on?
Malaysia sits entirely on the Sunda Plate.
- Plates
- 1
- M6.5+ quakes since 1900
- 2
- Holocene volcanoes
- 0
- Land area
- 327,644 km²
Plates under Malaysia
Share of Malaysia's land area on each plate (PB2002 model, Natural Earth outlines).
Plate boundaries
No plate boundary crosses Malaysia itself, so it sits in the stable interior of the Sunda Plate, although strong earthquakes can still reach it from nearby boundaries or older faults.
Earthquakes in Malaysia
Large earthquakes are uncommon in Malaysia. Since 1900 the USGS has recorded 2 of magnitude 6.5 or more in or just off the country.
| Earthquake | Magnitude | Year | Depth | Plate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 57 km NNW of Kota Belud, Malaysiatsunami | M7.1 | 2026 | 629 km | Sunda |
| 26 km NNW of Lahad Datu, Malaysia | M6.5 | 1923 | 35 km | Sunda |
Volcanoes in Malaysia
Malaysia has no volcanoes that have erupted in the last 12,000 years, according to the Smithsonian Global Volcanism Program.
Frequently asked questions
What tectonic plate is Malaysia on?
Malaysia sits entirely on the Sunda Plate.
Is Malaysia on a plate boundary?
No plate boundary crosses Malaysia itself, so it sits in the stable interior of the Sunda Plate, although strong earthquakes can still reach it from nearby boundaries or older faults.
Does Malaysia get earthquakes?
Large earthquakes are uncommon in Malaysia. Since 1900 the USGS has recorded 2 of magnitude 6.5 or more in or just off the country. The largest was the M7.1 57 km NNW of Kota Belud, Malaysia in 2026.
Are there volcanoes in Malaysia?
Malaysia has no volcanoes that have erupted in the last 12,000 years, according to the Smithsonian Global Volcanism Program.