Our seawater is safe

Proactive monitoring: An aerial view of the nuclear power plant in Fukushima, taken shortly after it began releasing its first batch of treated radioactive water into the Pacific Ocean in this file photo from Aug 24. — AP

KUALA LUMPUR: Monitoring conducted through the Gamma Spectrum Water Monitoring System (GSWMS) from Oct 1 to Nov 30 found no increase in radioactivity levels in Malaysian waters.

Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Chang Lih Kang said the monitoring was initiated following the Japanese authorities’ release of treated water from the Fukushima nuclear power plant into the Pacific Ocean.

He said the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has concluded that the approach and activities to discharge waters treated through the Advanced Liquid Processing Systems (ALPS) were consistent with the relevant international safety standards.

“IAEA, in its findings, reported it would have a negligible radiological impact on the people and the environment.

“However, as a proactive measure to ensure Malaysian waters remained unaffected, the ministry, through the Department of Atomic Energy, continuously monitors the radioactivity levels using the GSWMS installed at the jetty of the Borneo Marine Research Institute at Universiti Malaysia Sabah in Kota Kinabalu,” he said during the question and answer session at Dewan Negara yesterday.

He was responding to Senator Datuk Koh Nai Kwong’s question on the matter.

Meanwhile, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform) Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said said reform efforts on the separation of powers between the Attorney General Chambers and the public prosecutor’s office is a lengthy process.

The government needs more time to conduct a comprehensive and in-depth study so that the decisions made are not subject to changes in the future.

“We can see that some countries that decided on the separation of powers have backtracked.

“It (study) is necessary so that the decision on the separation of powers remains permanent,” she said during the question and answer session at Dewan Negara.

She was replying to a supplementary question from Senator Datuk Dr Nuing Jeluing, on when the separation of powers between the Attorney General and the Public Prosecutor could be implemented.

“The separation of powers between the Attorney-General and the Public Prosecutor is a lengthy process... institutional reform requires amendments to the constitution, and it will not be achieved if the government is unstable,” she said.