Former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad revealed his administration did not pursue nuclear power because of a "bad experience" with the technology.

"The cabinet then only supported the use of four methods to gain energy, namely fuel, coal, gas and hydro (electricity)," he said.

"The cabinet was not supportive of the nuclear energy option as there was a concern over how we would dispose of the waste. Furthermore, we have had a bad experience with it."

NONE The former premier did not elaborate on what the “bad experience” was.

It is unclear if Mahathir was referring to the 1MW mini-reactor in Bangi, which was commissioned in 1982, and operated by Malaysian Institute for Nuclear Technology Research, now called the Malaysia Nuclear Agency.

Speaking to reporters after an event in Cyberjaya today, Mahathir said Malaysia still needs to do more research about fusion technology if it intends to build nuclear power plants.

Asked if he would advise the Malaysian government over its nuclear ambitions in light of a possible nuclear disaster in Japan, Mahathir retorted that he was not the government advisor.

"Furthermore, you all did not elect me long enough," he quipped.

1981 visit to Singapore

Mahathir was also asked clarify his claim in his recently released memoirs that he was given the cold shoulder by Singapore during his first visit to the city state as premier in 1981.

A reporter told Mahathir that he had wrongly stated that Benjamin Sheares was Singapore’s president, rather than Devan Nair.

NONE Mahathir defended the factual accuracy of his book, adding that his wife Dr Siti Hasmah Mohd Ali was his witness.

"I remember (it) well, as President Benjamin was also one of my teachers. Siti Hasmah was there and you can ask her also," he insisted.

Siti Hasmah was seated in the back row during the press conference.

In his 800-page memoirs, Mahathir wrote that he felt slighted during the visit as he was greeted only by a protocol officer at the Singaporean Prime Minister's Office and was put in a holding room.

“I was made to wait for about 15 minutes and felt very sorely used. This was not the proper way to greet a foreign visitor of equal rank,” he said.

NONE He said that, when Singapore Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew and his successor Goh Chok Thong visited Kuala Lumpur, they were given the same treatment, while other heads of government were given a ceremonial welcome at Parliament House.

Mahathir also said that there was no state dinner during that visit to Singapore.

And when he paid a courtesy call on Sheares, who was his professor in medical college, they spoke for 20 minutes before the latter’s aide said the president had another appointment.

“I took the hint, got up and left,” wrote Mahathir. 

Some questions rejected

Mahathir was speaking to reporters after the launch of the Emkay Group Bhd’s Bangunan Lestari “green building” in Cyberjaya.

During the press conference, Emkay Group chairperson Mustapha Kamal Abu Bakar rejected several questions posed to Mahathir on grounds that questions that questions should be on green technology.

Rejected questions includes queries about whether Anwar Ibrahim should volunteer his DNA sample for the Sodomy II trial and whether Mahathir had been sued over contents of his memoirs.

Mustapha Kamal’s antics included cutting off Mahathir from replying. This left some reporters muttering complaints but they did not protest.

In his speech earlier, Mahathir said green technology should be adopted, citing how industrialised cities such as London and California used to have smog problems when he visited the areas in 1962.

"However, years' on these cities improved and there is less pollution," he said.

"Now that we have the technology, we must use it to preserve the environment and to safeguard the air and atmosphere from being polluted.”

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