Malaysia’s previous efforts to establish nuclear power were primarily derailed by major international safety incidents and significant domestic discoveries of natural gas. According to the authors of the newly released report, these factors, combined with shifts in government policy, led to the indefinite postponement of the national nuclear program.
The report notes that during the 1980s, the “Chernobyl disaster – 1986” and “Gas discoveries – halted nuclear plans.” Furthermore, between 2006 and 2019, progress was hindered by the “Fukushima accident – 2011” and a “Change in government policy.”
In simpler terms, two major global nuclear accidents created enough fear and concern to pause Malaysia’s ambitions. Additionally, when Malaysia found its own large supplies of natural gas, the government saw it as a cheaper and more immediate alternative to building nuclear reactors. These combined factors, alongside changing political priorities, eventually led the country to shut down its dedicated nuclear planning agency in 2018.
The report “Future Scenarios: The Role of Nuclear Power in Malaysia’s Energy Landscape” was published by the Malaysian Industry-Government Group for High Technology (MIGHT) in Cyberjaya, Malaysia, in 2025. It was prepared by a team of authors and technical experts at MIGHT to provide a strategic foresight outlook on integrating nuclear energy into the nation’s transition to a net-zero economy.
