Science, technology and innovation minister Chang Lih Kang says the studies will assess technology, potential sites, financing, and the development of Malaysia’s nuclear industry.
Chang said the studies would cover the owner-operator model and financing plan, site assessment and prioritisation, technology assessment, and the pathway for developing Malaysia’s nuclear industry.
He said the studies were being carried out under the nuclear electricity-generation development programme overseen by the energy transition and water transformation ministry
“These studies will be completed within 12 months,” he said when winding up the 2027 budget debate for his ministry in the Dewan Rakyat today.
“After that, the government will decide whether to use floating small modular reactors (SMRs) or land-based SMRs, and which model should be adopted.”
He said the timeline does not amount to an immediate commitment to build a nuclear plant. Instead, it sets out when Putrajaya expects to have the studies needed to determine its approach to nuclear energy.
This comes amid calls from MPs on both sides for Malaysia to accelerate its preparations for a more uncertain energy future, with rising electricity demand from artificial intelligence and data centres, geopolitical tensions, and continued reliance on oil and gas.
Howard Lee (PH-Ipoh Timur) had urged the government to move quickly, arguing that Malaysia was already under pressure to secure sufficient electricity for data centres and other energy-intensive investments.
Lee said energy prices had become more vulnerable to developments in the Middle East, while the growth of artificial intelligence and data centres, particularly in Johor, was increasing demand for reliable electricity.
He said Malaysia should not wait for a final policy decision before beginning serious preparations, as procurement, construction and the development of relevant capabilities could take years.
Even if Malaysia decided to proceed with a floating SMR after the studies, he said, obtaining equipment, assembling components and constructing the facility could still take around five years.
“If a policy decision has been made to move in that direction, and once the studies show it is safe and can be considered, we should proceed as quickly as possible,” the DAP MP said.
He also argued that Malaysia may already have much of the regulatory groundwork in place.
“If I am not mistaken, the mapping of legislation, laws and regulations is already about 80% to 90% in place (for floating SMRs),” he said, adding that only a smaller portion remained unclear.
Wan Ahmad Fayhsal Wan Ahmad Kamal (Wawasan-Machang) had made a similar argument in the Dewan Rakyat, calling for Malaysia to accelerate its nuclear planning as it confronts broader energy-security risks.
He pointed to the crisis around the Strait of Hormuz, and warned that oil and gas would remain a major challenge for the economy.
“It is time for Malaysia to take serious and consistent steps to develop our first nuclear power plant,” he said, adding that the project would require “brave decisions” from the government.
SMRs among options
In his winding-up speech, Chang said floating SMRs were among the options being assessed, but no decision had been made on the technology.
“There are land-based SMRs, floating SMRs and others. We will take into account suitability, needs and the country’s circumstances,” he said.
He was responding to Lee, who asked whether the energy transition and water transformation ministry, and the science, technology and innovation ministry were prepared to consider floating SMRs.
In August, deputy prime minister Fadillah Yusof said the ministry was studying the feasibility of nuclear energy, including SMRs, as a potential source of stable baseload power.
Support across political divide
Chang said the parliamentary debate showed that MPs recognised the need to explore nuclear energy as an alternative source of power.
“For MPs, we see there is a need to explore nuclear energy as one of the alternatives,” he said.
Khairil Nizam Khirudin (PN-Jerantut) also called for Malaysia to explore nuclear energy, saying the technology was neither new nor untested.
“Jerantut proposes this because I see that this technology is not new. Electricity generation through nuclear energy is something that has existed for a long time,” he said.
Khairil said nuclear energy remained taboo for many Malaysians, partly because of public memories of incidents such as the Fukushima nuclear disaster in Japan.
He called for greater public education and engagement, including among school and university students and MPs who may eventually scrutinise nuclear legislation.
Public acceptance key
Chang stressed that public acceptance would remain crucial to any decision to pursue nuclear energy, adding that the science, technology and innovation ministry was working to make the subject less taboo.
“Public acceptance is an important factor if the country is to move towards nuclear energy,” he said. A nuclear project would be difficult to proceed with without public support.
The ministry has introduced nuclear advocacy as a new element of National Science Week 2026, with public engagement focusing on scientific facts, safety concerns and radioactive-waste management. - FMT
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