Malaysia will have access to technology and power plant designs from other countries by signing a civil nuclear trade pact with the US, says the energy transition and water transformation minister.
In a report by Free Malaysia Today, Fadillah Yusof was quoted as saying that Malaysia is currently looking into the need to sign a Civil Nuclear Agreement, dubbed the “123 Agreement”, which sets conditions for countries importing American nuclear technology, including providing assurances that it will be used only for peaceful purposes.
“The US has been the primary holder of intellectual properties (IPs) in nuclear power technology and nuclear fuel cycles since the development of the first nuclear reactor,” Fadillah said in a written parliamentary reply.
“With this treaty, Malaysia could also have the opportunity to access plants’ designs and technology from other nations such as Japan, France, and South Korea—mostly made based on American IPs,” he said, adding that other Asean countries such as Indonesia, the Philippines and Singapore had signed similar agreements with the US.
Fadillah said although Malaysia would be dealing with suppliers from other countries, the US government would still have the right to impose conditions or export licences if the technology was sourced from its IPs.
