KUALA LUMPUR — Malaysia’s decision on whether to embark on a nuclear power programme will depend on its preparedness across 19 critical areas, most of which centre on safety and regulatory requirements, according to Energy Commission (EC) chief executive officer Siti Safinah Salleh.
She said the country must first demonstrate readiness in areas such as nuclear safety, radiation protection, radioactive waste management, and site and supporting facilities before making any decision on nuclear power development, Bernama reported.
Speaking during a panel discussion at the Energy Transition Conference 2026 (ETCon26) today, Siti Safinah said nuclear energy remains one of the options being considered as Malaysia pursues its clean energy transition.
“There are 19 building blocks that we have to be prepared for. Once you are ready, then we can take the next step in the conversation – do we want to do it?” she said.
Her remarks referred to the International Atomic Energy Agency’s (IAEA) Milestones Approach, a framework that identifies 19 infrastructure issues countries must assess before deciding whether to introduce a nuclear power programme.
The framework covers areas including national policy, nuclear safety, legislative and regulatory frameworks, safeguards, radiation protection, electrical grid capacity, human resource development, stakeholder engagement, and site selection.
Other requirements include environmental protection, emergency preparedness, security and physical protection, procurement, radioactive waste management, industrial participation, financing, and the nuclear fuel cycle.
Malaysia has been exploring nuclear energy as part of its long-term energy strategy to meet growing electricity demand while working towards its target of achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.
Siti Safinah noted that an increasing number of countries are turning to nuclear energy as a means of reducing emissions from the power sector.
“If we want to achieve clean energy transition, if we want to lower carbon emissions in the energy systems, we do need nuclear, and countries that can afford and are ready for nuclear are already ramping up the development of nuclear within their countries,” she said.
She pointed to China’s rapid expansion of nuclear generation capacity, while several European nations are reassessing the role of nuclear energy. Japan, she added, is also considering restarting reactors that were shut down following the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster.
Meanwhile, DayOne Data Centres chief executive officer Jamie Khoo said the company remains open to all forms of clean energy, including nuclear power, as demand for digital infrastructure and computing capacity continues to rise.
“We welcome all forms of clean energy, whether solar, wind or nuclear, as they are important components of the energy infrastructure,” she said.
Khoo said DayOne would be willing to collaborate with the government and industry stakeholders if opportunities arise to explore nuclear energy development.
“If there are opportunities, initiatives and a need for commercial study, DayOne is committed to working together with the government to try to create new technology in nuclear power,” she said.
She added that nuclear energy already forms part of the power mix in several markets where the company operates, particularly in Europe.
“So, it’s not new to us, but it’s definitely something we would like to explore further and see how it can be implemented in this part of the world,” she added. – June 4, 2026