Selangor Against Nuclear Power Plant

SHAH ALAM, May 5 (Bernama) -- Selangor has refused to support and allow the construction of a nuclear power plant in the state as it believes other energy sources are available.

Menteri Besar Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim said the state was also prepared to reduce electricity usage and study the use of new energy-efficient technology instead of relying on the proposed nuclear power plant.

"I don't think we need further effort to increase energy production through the nuclear power plant," he said at a news conference after chairing the weekly state executive council meeting here Wednesday.

Abdul Khalid who is also Bandar Tun Razak Member of Parliament, said he considered the construction of a nuclear power plant as a serious issue which needed to be discussed in Parliament.

"We have one of the most expensive power plants, which is the Bakun dam, and I don't see the need for a nuclear power plant as an alternative," he said.

On Tuesday, the government gave the Energy, Green Technology and Water Ministry the go-ahead to proceed with its plan for the nation's first nuclear power plant to cater to the country's increasing power needs. The plant is expected to be fully operational by 2021.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak on Wednesday urged the public to give their views on the future of power generation in Malaysia, including using nuclear energy.

He said although nuclear energy was undeniably more cost-effective and efficient, the government needed to study whether it was the right new source of energy for the country.

In KUALA LUMPUR, environmental organisations urged the government to gauge public opinion before setting up a nuclear power plant.

Centre For Environment, Technology and Development Malaysia (CETDEM) chairman Gurmit Singh said as the decision would directly affect the lives of Malaysians, their views should be taken into account before any decision was made.

He said he did not feel that Malaysia needed nuclear energy, adding that the nuclear power plant would require radioactive waste disposal, which at the moment could only be processed by France and Britain.

Malaysian Nature Society executive director Dr Loh Chi Leong said the public had not been given enough information on the plan.

"A detailed Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report must be published and given to the public so they have accurate information on the plant's operations," he told Bernama Wednesday.

He said the government should also prepare a comparative report on the use of nuclear energy by other countries to assure the public of its safety.

"The government needs to also think about the effects nuclear power will have on the people as it will involve toxic waste disposal and a radioactive system that can harm the environment," he added.

Meanwhile, Masterskill University College of Health Sciences deputy vice-chancellor Prof Datuk Proom Promwichit said many people were unaware that nuclear power was the safest source of energy compared to others.

He said so far, its use only involved a risk of 0.007 per cent and there had yet to be accidents involving nuclear energy reactors, unless caused by human negligence.

He welcomed the government's proposal to make nuclear energy an alternative source in the future, saying it would greatly benefit the country.

"We don't have any issues on expertise as we have the people who are trained and skilled in this area. However, we may face problems in finding a suitable location to build a small reactor," he said when contacted by Bernama Wednesday.

Proom, who is the first Malaysian to introduce nuclear medical technology to the country, added that he felt Kedah or Terengganu would be an ideal location to build the first reactor as the areas were free from the risk of earthquakes.