OPPOSITION ALLOCATIONS: GOV'T OPEN TO NEGOTIATIONS WITH ANY MP - FADILLAH

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 6 (Bernama) -- The government remains open to negotiations with any Member of Parliament regarding allocations for elected representatives from the opposition, said Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Fadillah Yusof.

He said that so far, only Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman (MUDA-Muar) had responded to the negotiations.

“…only YB Muar has responded so far...he sent me an email, and I’m currently reviewing all of his counter proposals. This will be discussed with the government chief whips, and, Insya-Allah, I will call YB Muar later to respond to what was proposed.

“If there are any MPs from the other side (the opposition) who want to discuss (the matter) with me, I am open to it. However, as a bloc, they (the opposition) have rejected (the offer to negotiate).

“I can’t do anything about it if they refuse to negotiate. I will negotiate with those who are willing to do so,” he said when winding up the debate on the Supply Bill 2025 at the policy stage for the Energy Transition and Water Transformation Ministry (PETRA) in the Dewan Rakyat today.

Previously, the opposition unanimously rejected the draft Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) regarding allocations for opposition MPs, citing four key reasons. They claimed it contradicted the Federal Constitution and that some of its conditions could potentially affect the special rights of Malays and Bumiputeras.

Meanwhile, Fadillah, who is also the Energy Transition and Water Transformation Minister, said PETRA, through MyPower, was conducting a Nuclear Energy Pre-Feasibility Study, which was expected to be completed by the end of December 2024.

The study also examined the development of small modular reactor (SMR) technology, which developed countries were actively working on, to be considered for use in the country if the government decided to adopt nuclear energy for electricity generation in the future.

“The study by MyPower also covers the legal and regulatory aspects, where it will assess the need to amend the Atomic Energy Licensing Act 1984 (Act 304) or introduce a more comprehensive new law, taking into account international legal instruments that Malaysia must enforce, based on global nuclear governance practices.

“If the government decides to use nuclear energy for electricity generation, it will implement a comprehensive human resource development plan to ensure a sufficient, highly skilled, and competent workforce in the nuclear sector,” he said.

According to Fadillah, nuclear technology was seen as a viable option for base load generation, given its high availability rate of over 85 per cent, as well as its potential to reduce reliance on gas fuel and replace coal.

-- BERNAMA