KUANTAN, – The use of nuclear technology can help improve the quality of Malaysian timber products meant for the international market, said Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Datuk Seri Dr Jamaludin Jarjis.
He said timber treated using nuclear technology was more resilient to pests like termites.
"Besides ensuring the quality of timber, such technology can also be used, for example, to detect the percentage of the sandalwood oil content in the making of products like perfumes," he told reporters at the 11th International Conference on Radiation Curing here Thursday.
Dr Jamaludin also said that Malaysia should be prepared to have its own nuclear plants in view of the high usage of electricity and rising fuel costs.
The ministry, he said, would submit a proposal to the cabinet for the construction of a 30-megawatt nuclear reactor under the Ninth Malaysia Plan.
"So far, we only have a one-megawatt reactor in," he said.
The minister further said that Malaysia planned to build a RM100 million nuclear monitoring laboratory in Bukit Ibam, Rompin, next year. The project is scheduled to be completed in 2010.