PETRA PROPOSES CHANGES TO ATOMIC ENERGY LAW TO STRENGTHEN NUCLEAR OVERSIGHT

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 27 (Bernama) -- The Energy Transition and Water Transformation Ministry (PETRA) has proposed amendments to the Atomic Energy Licensing Act 1984 to allow Malaysia to ratify international instruments on nuclear safety and regulation.

Deputy Minister Akmal Nasrullah Mohd Nasir said the proposed changes would also pave the way for nuclear energy to be considered as a national electricity source.

“We are aware that the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MOSTI) had previously amended the Act.

“However, at PETRA, we have expressed our intention to amend the Act to allow Malaysia to ratify the international instruments it has agreed to sign, thereby enabling nuclear energy to be developed as a national energy source,” he said during the question-and-answer session in the Dewan Rakyat today.

He was responding to a supplementary question from Rodziah Ismail (PH-Ampang) on the expected timeline for drafting and tabling a nuclear energy regulatory bill in Parliament.

Akmal Nasrullah said the government is currently conducting a comprehensive and phased assessment of nuclear energy potential as one of the options in the country’s energy mix, in line with the target of achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.

Commenting on the ministry’s strategy to address public concerns over nuclear reactor safety, he said MyPower Corporation (MyPower) has been appointed as the Nuclear Energy Programme Implementing Organisation (NEPIO), playing a key role in laying the groundwork for the development of Malaysia’s nuclear energy sector.

He said initiatives undertaken or in progress by MyPower include policy development, strengthening the legal framework to support potential nuclear projects, and technical studies on suitable nuclear reactor technologies.

“What is being implemented currently, in addition to policy planning, is an exploration effort to understand existing technologies and assess the potential of new ones. This allows for more careful and comprehensive consideration,” he said.

On the development of domestic nuclear technology expertise, Akmal Nasrullah said the ministry is working with relevant agencies to build institutional capacity, technical knowledge, and human capital.

In general, he said a NEPIO typically requires around 20 to 50 staff, while the regulatory body would need approximately 100 to 150 personnel to draft legislation and prepare for site supervision and construction.

“Long-term projections indicate that the workforce could reach 5,000 to 8,000 during the construction phase, while operations for each 1,000-megawatt (MW) unit would require between 500 and 800 permanent staff. These figures are indicative and will be updated through detailed assessments before any decisions are finalised,” he said.

On international nuclear legal instruments, he said preliminary studies show Malaysia needs to become a state party to 13 instruments under the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), including binding and non-binding agreements.

“Two other instruments fall under the United Nations (UN) and one under ASEAN. Of the 13 instruments, Malaysia has signed and complies with nine.

“The two binding instruments yet to be ratified are the International Convention for the Suppression of Acts of Nuclear Terrorism and the Model Additional Protocol,” he said, adding that Malaysia has yet to become a state party to five other instruments.

-- BERNAMA