Chang (second right) being briefed on the gamma spectrum water monitoring system at the UMS station in Kota Kinabalu on Tuesday (Aug 29).
KOTA KINABALU: The government is planning to install the gamma spectrum water monitoring system in Langkawi, Johor, Pahang and Sandakan, Sabah to monitor radioactivity levels in Malaysian waters, says Chang Lih Kang.
The Science, Technology and Innovation Minister said this was in addition to the station already established at the Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) jetty here at the end of June.
The system at UMS was the only one in the country for now, he said, adding Malaysia was the third country to have the device after Vietnam and Singapore in the Asean region.
“For the other devices, we will do it as soon as possible in stages,” he told reporters after making a site visit to monitor the system at UMS on Tuesday (Aug 29).
“The device cost about RM600,000 each.
“After what happened with the Fukushima nuclear plant releasing treated water (into the Pacific Ocean) and the concern among the public on the ocean’s radioactivity level, we decided to install the device in our waters.
“But we advise the people not to be worried. If there is any abnormal change in the levels, we will be able to detect it fast and early,” Chang said, adding they will also share information with other Asean countries.
He said UMS was chosen as the first site to install the device due to its distance with the Hainan Island in China.
“But this device is not only specifically in lieu of Fukushima but to monitor the radioactivity levels in our waters (due to activities) in China, Taiwan and Korea,’ he added.
Last Friday (Aug 25), the Department of Atomic Energy (Atom Malaysia) said there has been no increase in radioactivity levels detected in the country's waters following the release of treated water from the Fukushima nuclear plant into the Pacific Ocean by the Japanese government.
In a statement today, Atom Malaysia said the Science, Technology and Innovation Ministry took people’s concerns regarding the matter seriously, and was closely monitoring the situation.
It said the gamma spectrum water monitoring station had been set up in collaboration with the European Union to monitor any increase in radioactivity levels in “real-time” as a precautionary measure.
The country’s atomic energy regulatory body said data from the station was monitored round the clock at the National Centre for Nuclear Response Management (NCNRM) in Dengkil, Selangor.
Japan has maintained its stand to discharge the water even in light of heavy criticism and food import bans by China, North Korea and Hong Kong, and described its actions as safe.
On the declining rate of students taking up science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) subjects in the country, Chang acknowledged this was a worrying trend for the nation.
If this continued, he said, it could jeopardise Malaysia’s ambition to become a high-tech nation by 2030.
“If we don’t have the talents in science then we can’t reach this target.
“We are in the midst of attracting industries or investments which have technology and innovation as their core and this is not the same with the labour intensive investments.
“That is why we must churn out talents or a highly-skilled workforce for this,” Chang said.
