Press Statement
19
July 2012
Nuclear Energy in Malaysia: From “Option” to “Point of No Return”
We,
the undersigned civil society organisations, are extremely concerned that the
Malaysian government is going ahead with its plans to build two nuclear
reactors, without sufficient public information, consultation or debate. There
is concern that the government has quietly proceeded to advance its plans on
nuclear energy, ignoring wide public concerns about the dangers of nuclear
energy and the lethal risks of nuclear accidents, as in the Fukushima melt-down last year.
At a
forum in February 2012, statements by the Malaysia Nuclear Power Corporation
(MNPC) and Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB) revealed that the Nuclear Power Plant
(NPP) project has tiptoed to an advanced stage of development:
* The construction of two
nuclear power plants (NPP), with a total capacity of 2 gigawatts, was
identified in 2010 as one of the Entry Point Projects in the Economic
Transformation Programme.
* The MNPC is preparing a
Nuclear Power Infrastructure Development Plan (NPIDP) which is expected to be
completed by 2013, culminating in the delivery of Malaysia’s first nuclear power
plant by 2021.
* The final decision to ‘go
nuclear’ is expected to be made in 2013 or early 2014.
A
detailed timeline on nuclear power deployment (Source: Nuclear Malaysia;
Malaysia NKEA OGE Laboratory 2010), indicates
that the final site selection will be made in 2014, marking this as the POINT
OF NO RETURN, when the government makes its final decision and awards the
contract to the successful vendor. It is expected that the twin-unit NPP will
require a RM21.3 billion investment up to 2020.
It
has come to our knowledge that the following potential sites have already been identified:
·
Five coastal sites, one
each in Kedah, Perak and Terengganu and two in Johor.
·
Two inland sites, near
Tasik Temenggor, Perak, and Tasik Kenyir, Terengganu.
We
have learnt that Burns and Roe Enterprises Incorporated of the United States of
America has been appointed to conduct the NPIDP (refer to handout), feasibility
studies and make recommendations to MNPC, with regard to optimal siting,
reactor technology, reactor size, infrastructure development needed to support
the nuclear power option, and preparation of the bid documents for solicitation
of potential vendors for the NPP.
We
are disappointed that the Malaysian government is determined to consider
nuclear as an energy option when such technology has been rejected by a growing
number of countries and carries enormous risks to health and public safety,
including the indefinite accumulation of radioactive waste, which cannot be
disposed of safely and which will remain lethal to future generations of
Malaysians for thousands of years.
Nuclear
power is not a feasible option for Malaysia, whereas renewable energy
and energy efficiency are. Besides, the cost of nuclear energy is
escalating world over while the costs of renewable energy have been declining.
Moreover,
there has been no process of public consultation and decisions are being made
without transparency or accountability.
We do not accept that government-sponsored and corporate-funded meetings
by pro-government groups, including academia, constitute such engagement or
information, particularly when statements, made at such meetings, represent
disinformation. As a result, the public has been deluded and misinformed about
the facts of nuclear energy and nuclear power plants. The undeniable truth is that
nuclear energy and nuclear power plants are not cheap, clean or safe.
In
view of the serious long-term impacts of nuclear power production, we demand
that the Malaysian government abandon
its plans for nuclear energy and invest in safe renewable energy and energy
efficiency. We further demand that the
government come clean on its plans including disclosing the potential sites for
the nuclear power plants. We call on the government to stop the on-going
implementation process immediately.
List of
supporting organisations
1. Centre for Independent Journalism
2. Consumers' Association of Penang
3. Centre for Orang Asli Concerns
4. Dignity International
5. EcoKnights
6. Environmental Protection Society of Malaysia
(EPSM)
7. Himpunan Hijau
8. Institute for Development of
Alternative Living (IDEAL)
9. Jaringan Muafakat Pertubuhan Islam
Perak
10. Majlis Perundingan Pertubuhan Islam
Malaysia
11. Malaysian Physicians for Social
Responsibility (MPSR)
12. Nuke Off
13. Pahang Raub Ban Cyanide in Gold Mining
Action Committee
14. Peoples Green Coalition
15. Persatuan Sahabat Wanita Selangor
16. Persatuan Persaudaraan Muslimah Malaysia
17. Persatuan Teras Pendidikan Dan Kebajikan
Melayu Malaysia
18. Pertubuhan Gelombang Hijau Kuantan
19. Pertubuhan Muafakat Warga Desa (Rural
Citizens) Negeri Kedah
20. Sahabat Alam Malaysia
21. Sarawak Dayak Iban Association (SADIA)
22. Sekretariat Himpunan Ulama Rantau Asia
23. Social Economic Committee of Kuala Lumpur
& Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall
24. Stop Lynas Coalition
25. Tenaganita
26. TERAS Pengupayaan Melayu
27. Third World Network
28. TrEES (Treat Every Environment Special)
29. Warga Permuafakatan Pertubuhan Islam
Darul Aman
30. Women's Aid Organisation (WAO)
31. LLG Cultural Development Centre
32. Borneo Resources Institute Malaysia (BRIMAS)
32. Borneo Resources Institute Malaysia (BRIMAS)
The full petition can be accessed at http://www.facebook.com/PublicPetitionToStopNuclearPowerPlantsInMalaysiaandThe petition can be signed at http://www.thepetitionsite.com/745/599/785/public-petition-to-stop-nuclear-power-plants-in-malaysia/
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