KUALA LUMPUR: The government remains open to negotiations with any Member of Parliament regarding allocations for elected representatives from the opposition, said Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Fadillah Yusof. He highlighted that up to now, only Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman (MUDA-Muar) has shown interest by responding to the negotiations.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, Fadillah Yusof stated, “…only YB Muar has responded so far…he sent me an email, and I’m currently reviewing all of his counter proposals. This will be discussed with the government chief whips, and, Insya-Allah, I will call YB Muar later to respond to what was proposed.” He reiterated his openness to discussions with any opposition MPs, although he acknowledged that the opposition bloc as a whole had rejected the offer to negotiate.
The opposition had previously unanimously dismissed the draft Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) concerning allocations for opposition MPs. They cited four key reasons for their refusal, including contr
adictions with the Federal Constitution and potential implications for the special rights of Malays and Bumiputeras.
Meanwhile, Fadillah, who also serves as the Energy Transition and Water Transformation Minister, mentioned that PETRA, through MyPower, is conducting a Nuclear Energy Pre-Feasibility Study expected to be completed by December 2024. This study explores the development of small modular reactor (SMR) technology, a focus of many developed nations, to evaluate its suitability for Malaysia’s future electricity generation needs.
Furthermore, the study by MyPower will assess legal and regulatory requirements, potentially necessitating amendments to the Atomic Energy Licensing Act 1984 (Act 304) or the introduction of a new, comprehensive law. This assessment will consider international legal instruments that Malaysia must enforce in line with global nuclear governance practices.
Fadillah emphasized that if the government opts for nuclear energy for electricity generation, a comprehensive human resou
rce development plan will be implemented to ensure a skilled and competent workforce in the nuclear sector. He noted that nuclear technology is a viable option for base load generation, offering a high availability rate of over 85 percent and the potential to reduce reliance on gas fuel while replacing coal.