Press Statement by Charles Santiago in Klang on Saturday, 17^th October 2009:

Public consultation and studies promoting a low carbon economy necessary before going nuclear

Is nuclear power the only way to meet Malaysia's future energy needs? The answer is no!

Is it the only way to cut carbon emissions and promote green grid or green technology? The answer is still no!

Finally are we facing an energy deficit in the country? The answer is a whopping no!

And yet the government is pushing for a nuclear power plant through back door deals and with an apparent lack of consultation with relevant bodies and civil society.

Malaysia is yet to optimize its potential in the biomass, biogas, municipal waste, solar, mini-hydro and wind as alternative energy sources. The solar sector has the strongest potential for growth due to Malaysia's location in the equatorial region and therefore ideal for large scale solar power installations.

Furthermore there is no proven need for excess power. But the government has a dubious track record of making secret arrangements to line the pockets of the elite.

One classic example is the controversial Bakun Dam project in Sarawak, which forced close to 10,000 indigenous people out of their homes as it flooded an area as big as Singapore.

There was clearly no need for extra energy even as the government claimed the project would supply power to Sarawak and Sabah. Both these states face a power surplus, just like the rest of the country. The reserve margin of Sarawak and Sabah was 137% in 2006.

So we see tiny boxes sticking out when the government announced it would go nuclear by 2025. We also see a conflict of interest because Tenaga Nasional Berhad, a GLC, intends to be the designated developer-cum-operator of the first nuclear power plant in Peninsular Malaysia.

TNB is lobbying for the project while sitting in the government committee. If this is not a conflict of interest, I wonder what else is. And it also smacks of some top guns wanting to make big bucks, quickly.

In this 21^st century we are facing the grave threats of climate change and nuclear war. Potential uranium leak and nuclear energy undermines the solutions to climate change by diverting urgently needed resources away from the true renewable and energy efficiency sources.

Nuclear power comes with a host of dangers including lack of long-term waste management, proliferation of nuclear weapons, terrorism, huge economic costs and rare but devastating accidents.

No one would have forgotten the Chernobyl nuclear reactor accident which occurred on 26 April 1986, considered the worst nuclear power plant disaster in history. Thousands died.

Explosions and the resulting fire sent a plume of highly radioactive fallout into the atmosphere and extensive geographical area. Four hundred times more fallout was released than had been by the atomic bombing of Hiroshima.

The accident raised concerns about the safety of nuclear plants in general and the effects of exposure to radiation and radiation debris.

Maybe Malaysia wants to join the nuclear club. But the hazards associated with this ambition are disastrous enough to warrant a consultation. The government allocation of RM 25 million as part of its public relations exercise to promote a pro nuclear policy is a cause for concern. The government should not be deciding if the country will go nuclear.

The people are the ones who should be making the decision.

Instead, the Ministry of Energy, Green Technology and Water should seriously consider promoting a low carbon economy which focuses on improving public transportation, energy efficiency in domestic and industrial use and promoting green technology.

I therefore urge the government to declassify the various papers and studies of the energy commission and cabinet on exploring nuclear energy without any further delay including research on moving towards a low carbon economy.

* Charles Santiago, Selangor DAP Vice Chairman & MP for Klang