PM Lee says S'pore must study nuclear option
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http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1132609/1/.html
SINGAPORE: Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong again stressed that Singapore has not made a decision on nuclear power but it is an option that must be studied.
He said this at a news conference on Wednesday with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who is in Singapore for a two-day visit.
Germany had on Monday announced it would shut down its nuclear reactors by 2022.
It is Dr Merkel's first visit to Singapore as German Chancellor.
Mr Lee also noted that she is his first foreign visitor after he was re-elected to Parliament, just as he was her first foreign guest when Dr Merkel became Chancellor in 2005.
Both leaders made clear that Singapore-German relationship is an important one for the two countries.
Singapore is Germany's main trading partner in Southeast Asia, while German companies have long made their presence felt here, particularly in manufacturing.
Latest figures show that bilateral trade amounted to some S$20.5 billion in 2010.
Germany is also Singapore's biggest trading partner among the EU countries.
Both leaders agreed over the hour-long discussion to increase cooperation in R&D and support for enterprises.
They also agreed on the importance of ASEAN and the EU ties.
Dr Merkel said: \"Cooperation between the EU and ASEAN needs to be further enhanced, needs to be further developed to the benefit of both, because these are after all two economic regions that wield quite considerable economic clout, and therefore lend themselves ideally to co-operate even more in the future.\"
What was not on the table was nuclear energy. He said Singapore is still exploring the option.
Prime Minister Lee said: \"We need to understand it, because I think this is something which will not go away. And even if we don't do nuclear energy, our neighbours will do nuclear energy, and we need to understand the implications for us.\"
Asked about his choice for the post of IMF chief, Mr Lee said this would be decided on merit.
He said: \"I would not say that I'm looking for an Asian candidate. I think we want to look for the best person who can do a very difficult job, which is crucial towards the stability of the global monetary system.\"
Asked by German media about the significance of Mr Lee Kuan Yew's retirement from the Cabinet, Prime Minister Lee said that even when Mr Lee Kuan Yew was still in the Cabinet, decisions were already being made by PM Lee and the younger ministers. The senior Mr Lee would interject and express his views at times.
\"What has happened is that now that he has retired, this has become more visible, and that's all,\" he said.
Dr Merkel also met President SR Nathan at the Istana, as well as Mr Lee Kuan Yew.
The German Chancellor was also hosted to a state dinner by Prime Minister Lee. Her visit ends on Thursday. -
I don’t feel comfortable. And to be fair to all mankind, if our neighbours are thinking of one, we should have a right to voice out our concern.
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after seeing what happened to Japan, I have my doubts
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just watching CNN … some people were asking what is the risk of a plane crashing into a nuclear reactor ?
we should have a referendum on going nuclear
I am against it -
Germany a country bigger than ours in size (so have more distance to run away) is going to shut their nuclear power plants. While we, a country with no place to run, is still considering
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The scarier thought is.... if other ASEAN countries also adopt this nuclear option.... :xedfingers:
We can run but cannot hide... -
what’s the point of studying nuclear when all it takes is a tiny ba-boom to blast us up to outer space?
we cannot even compare to germany or japan…
one small radiation is enough to make singapore a history -
our neighbours as in malaysia? if someth bad touchwood happens we are really stranded with nowhere to run liao.
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WCW:
if head not so big dnt wear such big hat...
another trying to catch up with the Jones attempt :siao: -
pinky:
Or SG studying how to re-sell nuclear power, replacing crude oil... good $$$... good GDP... good luck....WCW:
if head not so big dnt wear such big hat...
another trying to catch up with the Jones attempt :siao:
:xedfingers: -
I dont feel good
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:yikes: :shock: NO NO NO NO NO NO.........Seems to be end of the world 2012 is really coming (at least to Singapore if we embark on nuclear power) :stupid: !!! I'm going to migrate if this happens :siam: !!!
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If we ever build one, I certainly hope that it can be built on some kind of remote-controlled self-propelled floating platform - since we're so good at land reclaimation anyway - so that someone up there can steer it away from us if disaster strikes.
I mean if we got no space to retreat from safety zone, then we must make sure that the reactor itself can 'retreat' from us. -
markfch:
Reactor \"retreat\" from us to where? Won't our neighbours object to reactor \"retreating\" to somewhere near them? Won't international countries and groups object if the reactor \"retreat\" to open waters? When the danger occur, it is not only threatening one nation, but overall human kind as a whole. Imagine every nation start having such reactors.If we ever build one, I certainly hope that it can be built on some kind of remote-controlled self-propelled floating platform - since we're so good at land reclaimation anyway - so that someone up there can steer it away from us if disaster strikes.
I mean if we got no space to retreat from safety zone, then we must make sure that the reactor itself can 'retreat' from us.
The way forward is not to plunge deeper and deeper into this energy need due to modernisation / development. We should start exploring and encouraging more ways to go green! -
can someone get PM Lee to read our concerns…
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Looking at the trend and seeing how modernisation will one day \"harm\" us in more ways, I think I better start planning to retire to some places whereby I can still not be affected by food scare, radiation and drastic climate changes (tsunami, tornadoes, flood, drought......). Now, where can that be :scratchhead: ? Tibet? Nepal?
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sunflowerseed84:
our neighbours as in malaysia? if someth bad *touchwood* happens we are really stranded with nowhere to run liao.
Beside them, Indonesia is considering along their ring of fire, and Myanmar is secretly setting up one. You are still surrounded, so might as well join them, right? What I hear from the lailio is that Singapore still need to understand Nuclear technology even if we are not building one. In case one of this surrounding one goes boom, we know what kind of vegetable to avoid mah! -
There is more, Philppine, Thailand and Vietnam. Philippine already has one but they didn't turn it on. See report
http://www.voanews.com/english/news/Southeast-Asia-Nuclear-Power-Plans-Unfazed-by-Japan-Emergency-117998719.html -
Pen88n:
Looking at the trend and seeing how modernisation will one day \"harm\" us in more ways, I think I better start planning to retire to some places whereby I can still not be affected by food scare, radiation and drastic climate changes (tsunami, tornadoes, flood, drought......). Now, where can that be :scratchhead: ? Tibet? Nepal?
Pen, there's no where to go. everyone/everywhere is affected one way or another... if no natural disasters, singapore still the safest cos we have various mountains, islands & seas protecting us.
but if this nuclear radiation come abt.... :nailbite: -
quite a few other asean countries already have plans for nuclear. it is seriously going to be worrying… can you imagine terrorists sabotaging one??
Here weather so hot, might as well thing of ways to make use of solar power.