Malaysia Needs Robust Legal, Regulatory Framework For Nuclear Power - World Nuclear Association

From Siti Radziah Hamzah

TASHKENT, June 18 (Bernama) -- Malaysia would need to establish a robust legal and regulatory framework, as well as develop a skilled workforce, before nuclear power can become a realistic option in the country's long-term energy mix, according to World Nuclear Association (WNA) Director General Dr Sama Bilbao y Leon.

She said countries embarking on nuclear power programmes must first put in place the necessary infrastructure to support the industry, including legislation, regulations and talent development.

“It is a realistic option in many countries; newcomer countries and countries that have had nuclear (power) for many years. So, this year, we are going to have Bangladesh and Turkiye (adopting nuclear energy),” she told Bernama on the sidelines of the Tashkent International Investment Forum (TIIF) 2026 here.

Bilbao y Leon pointed to Bangladesh and Turkiye, which are expected to begin operating their first nuclear power plants this year. She said both countries had moved from having no nuclear generation capacity to producing around 10 per cent of their electricity from nuclear power in less than a decade.

Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof recently said Malaysia is undertaking a comprehensive assessment of its potential nuclear energy programme. This covers policy development, regulatory frameworks, project feasibility, industry participation, stakeholder engagement and human capital development.

He said the move to explore nuclear energy for electricity generation is a strategic effort to strengthen long-term energy security while supporting the country's clean energy transition.

Malaysia currently operates no nuclear power plants and relies mainly on gas, coal, and renewable energy sources for electricity generation.

Bilbao y Leon said nuclear energy remains one of the few proven technologies capable of providing abundant, affordable and round-the-clock carbon-free electricity.

"If you want to have abundant, affordable, 24-7, carbon-free electricity, you don't have too many choices. You have nuclear energy, hydropower (and) geothermal. You do not have too many other choices," she said.

Bilbao y Leon noted that demand for reliable baseload power is increasing globally, driven by the rapid growth of data centres, artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure and energy-intensive industries.

"We are seeing in all parts of the world large energy users, whether it is AI, data centres, technology companies or the oil and gas industry. They are all looking at nuclear energy among other options," she added.

On public concerns surrounding nuclear energy, Bilbao y Leon said global sentiment towards nuclear power has improved significantly as countries seek secure and low-carbon sources of electricity.

She also described nuclear power as one of the safest methods of electricity generation, citing industry data measured by fatalities per kilowatt-hour produced.

Meanwhile, Bilbao y Leon said small modular reactors (SMRs) are expected to play an increasingly important role in the future nuclear energy landscape, including in newcomer countries.

She said SMRs represent a more standardised and modular approach to nuclear deployment, allowing components to be factory-fabricated and assembled more efficiently than conventional projects.

"So, what we are doing is moving towards more standardised, more factory-fabricated, modular construction. So, the projects are a lot faster," said  Bilbao y Leon.

Bilbao y Leon added that SMRs are already being built in Canada, the United States, Europe and China, while Russia already has operating SMRs.

"We are going to see them operating before the end of this decade. And I think we will see them expanding quite a bit in the next decade," she added. 

However, Bilbao y Leon noted that large-scale nuclear reactors will continue to dominate global nuclear development, with most of the 80 nuclear power plants currently under construction worldwide comprising conventional large reactors.

Held from June 16-18, 2026, under the theme "Investment Resilience, New Frontiers, New Partnerships", TIIF 2026 has attracted nearly 4,000 participants from more than 100 countries.

-- BERNAMA