PUTRAJAYA: Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has stated that Japan should continue to consider the suggestions regarding the treated water from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant being discharged into the sea. Malaysia is content with a report by the International Atomic Energy Agency but emphasizes the importance of taking into account the views of other countries in the region due to the transboundary effects it may have.
During a meeting with Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, Anwar expressed his hope that Japan would continue to listen to the concerns and opinions expressed by other nations. While Japan assures that the release of the treated water will have minimal radiological impact on people and the environment, Anwar believes that it is essential to address the concerns raised by neighboring countries.
The statement was made after the meeting between Anwar and Kishida on Sunday (Nov 5).
In November 2, Japan initiated the release of the third batch of treated wastewater from the Fukushima nuclear plant. Tokyo Electric Power (Tepco) has begun releasing 7,800 tonnes of water that was used to cool reactors following the devastating tsunami in 2011, leading to the meltdowns. This release follows the gradual release of 540 Olympic swimming pools’ worth of wastewater since late August, which has been stored at the Fukushima Daiichi power plant.
Japan argues that the water being released is harmless as it is heavily diluted with seawater and will be gradually released over several decades.
