Malaysia won’t proceed with nuclear energy without public support, says Fadillah
by BP Editor 10 · Borneo Post OnlineKUCHING (July 15): Malaysia will not proceed with adopting nuclear energy without public acceptance, said Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof.
Speaking to the media after attending the International Energy Week (IEW) 2025 at the Borneo Convention Centre today, Fadillah stressed the importance of public engagement before any decision is made.
“So, this is the groundwork we are doing. We have to engage our public so that we can get buy-in from the public.
“Without the public acceptance, we will not be able to take nuclear energy as one of our energy supplies,” he said.
He clarified that the federal government has not committed to developing nuclear power but has approved studies to explore its potential as part of Malaysia’s long-term energy strategy.
“We are not saying that we are going ahead. What has been approved is to consider nuclear as one of the potential energy mixes for the future,” he said.
Fadillah said several prerequisites must be fulfilled, including technical and safety studies, environmental impact assessments, and engagement with international partners, with the earliest timeline being about 10 years.
“I’ve been to the UK, France and Russia. Eventually, we will go to the US, China and Korea to study their technologies,” he said.
Malaysia must also ratify 18 international treaties and obtain final approval from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) before any nuclear project can proceed.
Fadillah also pointed out the limited renewable energy resources in Peninsular Malaysia compared to Sarawak, particularly for hydro, solar, and wind power.
“In Peninsular Malaysia, they have no choice. We don’t have enough water to produce hydro. Solar and wind are intermittent. Bio-energy is limited,” he said.
“Our biggest challenge is base load. Base load means energy that is secure and fixed. Right now that includes gas, coal and nuclear,” he said.