KOTA KINABALU: Sabah should host Malaysia's first nuclear energy plant, says Sabah Government Backbenchers Club (BBC) chairman Datuk Masiung Banah (pic).
Masiung proposed deploying Floating Nuclear Power Plants (FNPP) along Sabah's extensive coastline, citing lower construction costs, faster setup, and reduced risks compared to land-based facilities.
"It is time for Malaysia to move into the phase of developing nuclear energy, in line with the framework of a nation set to emerge as a developed country by 2030," he said in a statement on Wednesday (Nov 4).
The Kuamut assemblyman urged the Sabah state government and Putrajaya to collaborate on the nuclear initiative, suggesting formal talks be held under the Malaysia Agreement 1963 Implementation Action Council.
Masiung said that the state must prepare for a surge in electricity demand by 2031 while buffering against global fossil fuel volatility and carbon emission targets.
His proposal follows earlier remarks by Deputy Prime Minister and Energy Transition and Water Transformation Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof, who identified Sabah and Peninsular Malaysia as the most practical sites for potential nuclear development within the next decade.
