IPOH, Oct 22 — The Royal Malaysian Air Force (TUDM) today clarified that the tremors and loud bang that shook Ipoh at 11:06am yesterday were not caused by a sonic boom from a fighter jet.
In a statement, TUDM confirmed that no fighter aircraft from the force were dispatched to the area at the time of the incident.
“Similarly, no foreign aircraft have intruded into the country’s airspace, as speculated,” it stated.
TUDM urged the public to refrain from speculation and allow the police to conduct an investigation to determine the real cause of the incident.
Yesterday, Sinar Harian reported that the incident might have been caused by a sonic boom.
Defence analyst Zaki Salleh said that sonic booms can produce high levels of sound energy when aircraft fly faster than the speed of sound.
“Sonic booms do not affect the aircraft, and there is no explosion in the air. However, only the authorities, including aviation and military officials, can confirm the actual source of the noise,” he was quoted as saying.
This speculation arose following a similar incident reported in Perth, Australia, last August, involving four F-15 jets from the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) conducting exercises near a military airbase in Western Australia.
Meanwhile, Perak Police Chief Datuk Azizi Mat Aris confirmed yesterday that no explosive training, quarry blasting, or seismic activity were reported in the area.
