PETALING JAYA: Malaysian holiday-makers are shunning Lombok and Bali after the popular tropical islands were hit by a magnitude-7.0 earthquake on Sunday, just a week after the first quake on July 29.
Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (MATTA) president Datuk Tan Kok Liang urged Malaysians to delay their trip to Lombok to avoid putting themselves in danger."If there are any Malaysians flying to Lombok it is advisable for them to contact the respective airline company as well as the travel agent in Indonesia to delay the flight to another time," he said.
The magnitude-7.0 earthquake that struck off north Lombok on Sunday evening was also felt around Sumbawa, Bah and east Java.The death toll has reportedly exceeded 90 while hundreds more are injured.On July 29, a magnitude-6.4 quake shook West Nusa Tenggara and Lombok, killing 17 people, including 30-year-old Malaysian Siti Nur Ismawida Ismail.The earthquake also injured hundreds while more than 5,000 homes.