Something good has come out of the Malaysian government’s decision not to go ahead with Noramly’s nomination as Director General of the UN International Atomic Energy Agency ( a decision that has nothing whatsoever to do with him or his competency or experience or anything of the things that you might think would count).

We have found out how many supporters/friends he actually has – people who are dismayed that he wasn’t given a chance. People who knew he would make an excellent Director General. There has been a flood of emails from all over the world – from USA to Latin America, Australia to Europe, from one of Japan’s top nuclear scientists, from other Asian countries, from the Middle East, from people who worked for him in the Agency before, from people who work there now.

He is truly an international scientist of stature and it’s good to know that there are so many people in the field who still believe in him.

…with a two page spread in The Star. Here’s part of the online version. You can read the full version here.

(Written by a reporter who doesn’t know the difference between persecute and prosecute…)

“This is where a little-known local body comes in: the Atomic Energy Licensing Board (AELB) under the Science, Technology and Innovation Ministry. The AELB is a regulatory body that deals with the safe usage of nuclear power in the country, by issuing licences to those who use this energy source and making sure they adhere to proper usage guidelines.

The AELB’s main task is dealing with safety. According to AELB chairman Prof Datuk Dr Noramly Muslim, this includes both the safety of the workers or individuals involved in using nuclear technology and the well-being of the general population.

“Our licencees are dealing with nuclear technology, radioactivity and radiation, so safety is very important. We have to make sure the operators who are handling the technology are safe, and equally important, that the technology itself is safe,” explains Noramly, who at 68, has had more than three decades’ experience working with nuclear energy.

“So our responsibility is two-fold; firstly, the safety of workplaces that utilise nuclear technology is very important, so we have to regulate how the technology is used and the safety measures put in place. Secondly, we also have to enforce the regulations. If an organisation fails to follow our rules, we have to persecute them.” … … …

“Noramly sums it up eloquently: “I would like others to know that we have a credible organisation that has the international capacity, competency and expertise to handle nuclear energy. We already have the ability; what is important is for the country to have confidence in us.”

Prof Datuk Dr Noramly Muslim: ‘Our system can detect airborne radiation, so, for example, if there is an accident in Vietnam, we will be able to detect it here.’