MetMalaysia director-general Hisham Anip said the earthquake occurred at about 3.02am, with tremors felt in some areas around Ranau.

“The epicentre was located at coordinates 6.1° North and 116.7° East, at a depth of 10km, about 8km northwest of Ranau,” he said in a statement.

Hisham said the department was still monitoring the situation.

The incident comes two days after a moderate 5.9-magnitude earthquake struck North Sumatra, Indonesia, on Sunday.

The Sumatran quake, which occurred at a depth of 18km and 67km west of Nias, posed no tsunami threat to Malaysia.

Within the wider region, a magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck off the northeastern coast of Japan yesterday, prompting authorities to urge residents to stay away from coastal areas where tsunami waves of up to 3m were expected.

Two hours after the tremor, which struck at 3.53pm Malaysian time, tsunami waves as high as 80cm had been detected. The tsunami warning was later downgraded to a tsunami advisory.