nuclear-news

  Nuclear reactors: Malaysia lacks maintenance culture.

Impossible to guarantee ongoing maintenance and safety of such projects.

Malaysia Kini, Yoursay,   Sep 7, 2023 

This KiniGuide on small nuclear reactors states that there are only two such small modular reactors in operation – one in Russia and another in China.

Both countries are notoriously secretive about problems in their respective countries. So what models are there in countries where objective, open, and transparent data may be obtained?

That is the first problem that should have been highlighted.

Secondly, former prime minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi famously referred to our situation as a country of first-world infrastructure and third-world mentality.

What are the safety standards, level of knowledge, expertise, number of experts, and safety professionals needed to manage this venture?

What is the state of knowledge in our universities to manage and produce such professionals

Are we going to pay billions if we do not have to import this knowledge and expertise and then be left high and dry when such expertise should suddenly abandon the project?

It is not very unreasonable to say that our state of knowledge in universities is probably outdated if not backward (considering syllabuses of popular subjects).

Most importantly, going by our poor leadership in public infrastructure departments, it is impossible to guarantee the ongoing maintenance and safety of such projects.

In Selangor where I live, missing drain covers do not get replaced despite regular reminders, nor are the drains ever cleaned despite decades of muck that can lead to flooding.

The contractors hired to maintain the landscape rarely send workers to maintain the grounds.

Areas that are under state or public sector entities are sometimes suddenly converted into makeshift shanties where foreign workers and undocumented workers are housed and charged exorbitant amounts by what appears to be dodgy gangster-like groups operating in those areas.

So, with elements of neglect, apathy, poor understanding of professionalism, and indications of bribery and corruption, how can you provide this “happily-ever-after” version to parrot some opportunistic ministers who may never last their terms in the first place?

Anonymous 1092837465: If the government wants to reduce carbon emissions, it should give thought to saving energy first

Only truth: “Can a fleet of smaller, more flexible nuclear reactors be part of the solution to Malaysia’s energy puzzle?”

In this day and age, our ‘budak kita’ cannot even sort out the basic catering supply to the national airline,……………………………..

Dilapidated public facilities at parks and forest reserves say a lot about the people who managed them and also the high-ranking ministers involved.

These people cannot be trusted with dangerous things like uranium or plutonium.

We have a nuclear research facility in name only, allocations were given, grandiose pipedream proposals were made, and allocations were given for years. https://www.malaysiakini.com/news/678306

September 7, 2023 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | Malaysia, safety