CYBERJAYA: Malaysia will not use nuclear power as a renewable energy source as the country’s knowledge in the field is inadequate, said Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.
He said to date, the world has yet to find the best and safest way to dispose of radioactive waste generated.
“If you have a nuclear power plant, you will accumulate nuclear waste, which is radioactive, and until now they do not know how to reverse the process.
“That is why we cannot use nuclear materials because it stays on for a million years. We do not want this country to be full of such waste thrown all over the place and affecting people.
“That is why, until we discover a way of reversing the process, we should not use nuclear materials,” he told reporters after a dialogue session with the French business community in Malaysia here, today.
The event was organised by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry France Malaysia.
Dr Mahathir during the dialogue was asked on Malaysia's vision on renewable energy sources, after a pledge by Energy, Science, Technology, Environment, and Climate Change Minister Yeo Bee Yin in September to have Malaysia increase its renewable energy use to 20 per cent by 2025.
Dr Mahathir said the country was working on reducing the usage of traditional energy sources namely oil, gas, and coal to lessen the amount of pollution in the air.