Buku Program WIN 2021

5th Annual
Conference 2021

Women in Nuclear
23-24 March 2021

Assalamu'alaikum and Salam Sejahtera WiNners and friends.
Welcome to WiN Malaysia's 5th Annual Conference!
The year 2020 was full of uncertainties caused by the Covid 19 pandemic.
Our movement was restricted, and we had to live with new normal and
SOPs. We no longer meet in offices but from home and deposit our
documents in cloud storage. Many events were cancelled, postponed, or
held virtually. Thus the reason why WiN’s 5th Annual conference is being
organised this year, 2021, on a virtual stage.
Moving forward, this year’s theme, Nuclear Technology: Providing
Solutions for Challenges in Future Development, will highlight how this
technology can be exploited to ensure sustainable livelihood and economic
progress. Topic of presentations will vary from role of women in nuclear
S&T to applications of the technology in various fields.
This year, we are honoured to have keynote and invited speakers from
different background who have graciously agreed to share with us their
thoughts and wisdom. Conference participants will also have opportunities
to listen and learn from each other through informative and interesting oral
and poster presentations. Together we can make this conference beneficial
for all.
On that note, I wish everyone a successful and memorable conference.
Thank you.
Ts. Dr. Siti A’iasah Hashim
President, WiN Malaysia

ii

Contents

Contents..................................................................................................... iii
Day 1 Agenda .............................................................................................1
Day 2 Agenda .............................................................................................3

Abstract .....................................................................................................5
Keynote 1: Marina Mishar...........................................................................6
Keynote 2: Sharmila Mohamed Salleh, A.M.N., S.M.P. .............................7
Invited Speaker 1: Dr. Muhd Noor Muhd Yunus ........................................9
Invited Speaker 2: Prof. Dr. Kwan Hoong Ng, PhD, FInstP,
DABMP, FASc ..........................................................................................11
Invited Speaker 3: Dr. Noor Hasnah Mohamed Khairullah ......................12
Invited Speaker 4: Wan Hasamudin Wan Hassan ...................................13
Invited Speaker 5: Devi Durgaashini A/P Ramesh...................................14
P1: Dr. Chai Chee Keong .........................................................................16
P2: Dr. Nor Azillah Fatimah Othman ........................................................17
P3. Dr. Noraishah Othman .......................................................................18
P4. Dr. Phua Choo Kwai Hoe ...................................................................19
P5. Norazlina Noordin...............................................................................21
P6. Roha Tukimin .....................................................................................22
P7. Salmah Moosa ...................................................................................23
P8. Dr. Julia Abdul Karim .........................................................................24
P9. Dr. Mazleha Maskin ...........................................................................25
P10. Shamesh Raj Parthasarathy ............................................................26
P11: Sabariah Kader Ibrahim ...................................................................27
P12: Ruzalina Baharin ..............................................................................28
P13. Nur Fatin Humaira Jamaluddin ........................................................29
P14. Wan Syazlin Wan Yunoh .................................................................30
P15. Dr. Siti Najila Mohd Janib .................................................................31
P16. Hasfazilah Hassan ...........................................................................32

iii

Pos1: Dr. Leo Kwee Wah .........................................................................34
Pos2: Muhammad Hannan Bahrin ...........................................................36
Pos3: Dr. Zaiton Ahmad ...........................................................................38
Pos4: Dr. Susan Maria Sipaun .................................................................40
Pos5: Dr. Zainah Adam ............................................................................42
Pos6: Wan Syazlin Wan Yunoh ...............................................................44
Pos7: Nurhayati Ramli ..............................................................................46

iv

Day 1 Agenda

Tuesday, 23 March 2021

Opening
Emcee: Puan Sarala Selambakkannu

900 Welcoming Remarks
(25 min) YBrs. Ts. Dr. Siti A’iasah Hashim

President of WiN Malaysia

930 Opening Ceremony
YBhg. Datuk Ir. Dr. Siti Hamisah Tapsir
(30 min) Secretary General. Ministry of Science, Technology &
Innovation (MOSTI)

Chairman: Dr. Siti Najila Mohd Janib, Research Officer,
Malaysian Nuclear Agency

Timekeeper: Wan Syazlin Wan Yunoh

Session 1: Applications of Nuclear Science & Technology

1005 Keynote 1
Marina Mishar
(45 min) Section Head Technical Corporation for Asia Pacific
International Atomic Energy Agency, Vienna, Austria
Title: Opportunities for Women in IAEA Technical Cooperation
Programme

1100 Invited Speaker 1
Dr. Muhd Noor Muhd Yunus
(30 min) President Malaysian Association of Research Scientists
Title: Nuclear Technology Sustainability and WiN in Malaysia

1135 P1: Dr. Chai Chee Keong
(20 min) Radiation Prevulcanization of Natural Rubber Latex: Obstacles

and Challenges

1155 P2: Dr. Nor Azillah Fatimah Othman
(20 min) Preparation and Properties of Biodegradable Dual-layer

PHA/PCL Mulch Film for Agricultural Use

1250 BREAK

1

Session 2: Applications of Nuclear Science & Technology (cont’d)

Chairman: Dr. Julia Abdul Karim, Research Officer, Malaysian
Nuclear Agency

Timekeeper: Rokiah Mohd Sabri

230 Invited Speaker 2
Prof. Dr. Kwan Hoong Ng
(30 min) Department of Biomedical Imaging, University of Malaya, Kuala

Lumpur
Title: Dr. Wu Chien-Shiung – the First Lady of Physics
Cooperation

305 P3. Dr. Noraishah Othman
(20 min) Verification of Pipe Leakage in Buried Pipelines of Gas District

Cooling (GDC) Systems using Radiotracer Technology

325 P4. Dr. Phua Choo Kwai Hoe
(20 min) Success Story of Biofertiliser Commercialisation with Nuclear

Technology

345 P5. Norazlina Noordin
(20 min) Pre-screening of Acute Gamma-Irradiated Pisang Berangan

against Abiotic Stress: Drought-Tolerance

405 P6. Roha Tukimin
(20 min) A Study on 5G Radiofrequency Electromagnetic Fields

Measurement Methodology

425 P7. Salmah Moosa
(20 min) Food Fraud and Adulteration: Can we Prevent It?

445 END OF DAY 1

2

Day 2 Agenda

900 Wednesday, 24 March 2021

(20 min) Chairman: Dr. Zainah Adam, Research Officer, Malaysian
Nuclear Agency
920
Timekeeper: Ros Anita Ahmad Ramli
(20 min)
Invited Speaker 3
940 Dr. Noor Hasnah Mohamed Khairullah
Vice President of WiN Malaysia
(20 min) Title: We Need to Talk

1000 Invited Speaker 4
Wan Hasamudin Wan Hassan
(20 min) Principal Research Officer, Malaysian Palm Oil Board, Kuala
Lumpur (MPOB)
1020 Title: Importance of Patent in Designing Research Project

(20 min) Session 3: Radiation Safety and Nuclear Security

1040 P8. Dr. Julia Abdul Karim
Radiation Safety and Control in Radioisotopes Production at
(20 min) PUSPATI TRIGA Reactor (RTP)

1100 P9. Dr. Mazleha Maskin
Development of Level I Probabilistic Safety Assessment at
(45 min) PUSPATI TRIGA Reactor

P10. Shamesh Raj Parthasarathy
Safety Assessment and Evaluation on Hand-held Laser
Pointers

P11. Sabariah Kader Ibrahim
Preliminary Assesment of Nuclear Cybersecurity using Self
Assessment Approach

Chairman: Dr. Julie Andrianny Murshidi, Research Officer,
Malaysian Nuclear Agency

Timekeeper: Suzilawati Muhd Sarowi

Keynote 2
Sharmila Mohamed Saleh
CEO Yayasan Inovasi Malaysia
Title: Women at the Centre of Economic Recovery

3

1145 P12. Ruzalina Baharin
Current Challenges of Radiation Processing Industry in
(20 min) Malaysia

1230 BREAK

Session 4: Applications of Nuclear Science & Technology,
Combatting Covid-19 and Radiation Safety and Nuclear Security

Chairman: Dr. Ng Yen, Research Officer, Malaysian Nuclear
Agency

Timekeeper: Noor Fadila Ismail

230 Invited Speaker 5

(30 min) Devi Durgaashini A/P Ramesh

President, Nuclear Engineering Student Society (NESS)
Title: Women’s Role in Leadership and Promoting Nuclear

Knowledge

300 P13. Nur Fatin Humaira Jamaluddin
Study on Determination of Leaching Rate from Naturally
(20 min) Occurring Radioactive Material and Heavy Elements in Tin
Slag

320 P14. Wan Syazlin Wan Yunoh
(20 min) Development on Laser Safety Management Programme in

Malaysia

340 P15. Dr. Siti Najila Mohd Janib
(20 min) Nuclear Medicine in Developing Potential New Therapeutics

for Combating COVID-19

400 P16. Hasfazilah Hassan
(20 min) Nuclear Security Culture Self Assessment

420 END OF 5th Annual WiN Conference

4

ABSTRACT

Keynote 1: Marina Mishar
Section Head Division for Asia and the Pacific, Department of Technical
Cooperation, International Atomic Energy Agency, Vienna, Austria

Biodata
Marina Mishar holds an MSc in Nuclear Science from Universiti
Kebangsaan Malaysia and started in IAEA in 2013 as a Programme
Management Officer and rose to her present position as Section Head of
the Division of Asia and the Pacific, Department of Technical Cooperation
in 2019. In this position, she is responsible to manage the portfolio of
Technical Cooperation Programme of 17 Countries and Territories in the
Middle East and West Asia including a number of regional TC programme
for the whole of Asia and the Pacific region.

Prior to joining IAEA Ms. Mishar was in the Regulatory Body in Malaysia,
Atomic Energy Licensing Board in various position, the latest to be the
Section Head of Radiation Detection and Emergency cum National
Coordinator for the National Radiological Emergency Centre. She had
coordinated national response involving at least 8 national agencies
(Atomic Energy Licensing Board, Malaysia Nuclear Agency, Meteorology
Department, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Science, Air and Sea Port
Authority, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Custom Department etc) during the
Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Accident.

Title: Opportunities for Women in IAEA Technical Cooperation
The International Atomic Energy Agency is committed to gender equality.
To this end it is carrying out initiatives for gender balance among its
professional staff and senior management, and it is mainstreaming gender
considerations into its programmatic work.

The presentation will outline the training opportunities in IAEA and
especially in Technical Cooperation Programme for Asia and the Pacific
focusing on women in various thematic areas such as in treatment of
Cervical Cancer projects, Training for Women Educators and Journalist
and the Marie Curie Fellowship Programme.

6

Keynote 2: Sharmila Mohamed Salleh, A.M.N., S.M.P.
CEO Yayasan Inovasi Malaysia

Academic Qualification
• Bachelor’s degree in Business Management (Marketing)
• Diploma in Banking Studies
• Advanced Diploma in Accountancy
• Ph.D. Candidate by Research

Professional Summary
Sharmila Mohamed Salleh is the present Chief Executive Officer of the
Malaysia Foundation for Innovation (YIM), an agency established by the
Ministry of Science, Technology, and Innovation (MOSTI) in October 2008
to promote and champion innovation. Malaysians from all walks of life
converge at YIM to share innovation knowledge and strategic intelligence,
resulting in the empowerment of creativity and innovation through the
propagation of innovative mindsets, sustainable support systems and
innovation ecosystems.

In 2012, Sharmila’s passion motivated nationwide initiatives under
Malaysia’s Innovation Discovery (MID), making her one of the leading
figures in Grassroots Innovation. She further embarked on data mining and
spearheaded YIM’s InnoMap Depository System of Innovations. Recently,
she has been leading community innovation initiatives such as High Impact
Programme 6, Mainstreaming Grassroots Innovations Projects, and Social
Innovations Programmes.

Sharmila is a certified Innovation Associate and Innovation Manager from
the Global Innovation Management Institute, USA. A renowned speaker in
her field, she shares her ideas and experiences on creativity and
innovations with various sectors. In 2019, she was a panellist and speaker
at conferences and forums organised by the United Nations Economic and
Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) held in India,
Bangkok, Tehran, and the Philippines. She also spoke at similar events in
Hanoi (organised by UNDP) and in Jakarta (organised by the United
Nations Department of Economic & Social Affairs, UNDESA). Being an
active proponent of environmental care issues, she received The Most
Esteemed Order of the Defender of the Realm (A.M.N.) from His Majesty
the King of Malaysia in 2015, and in 2018, she was awarded Setia Mahkota
Pahang (S.M.P).

7

Sharmila was appointed President of the Malaysia Economy and
Entrepreneurs Development Organisation (MEEDO) in July 2018. She and
her team were subsequently entrusted with developing a Social Innovation
Roadmap to create a 5-year plan of social innovation in Malaysia and to
build up the skillset for Grassroots Innovators under the Grassroots
Enrichment Programme. Under her supervision, YIM has actively
contributed to the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic and implementing
initiatives that are in line with Government Policy to ensure the county has
the highly knowledgeable, multi-skilled, creative, and innovative human
capital to meet the needs of the county by 2050 particularly to achieve
Wawasan Kemakmuran Bersama, besides facing the booming of IR4.0.

Currently, Sharmila and her team are developing Ruang Reka Rewang
spaces in Program Perumahan Rakyat (PPR) is a continuation facility of
Ruang Reka @ Komuniti which offer access to culinary training, create
jobs, and space to store and prepare food. This space is built specially to
help women gain affordable access to safer and cleaner cooking solutions
and small businesses for macro level system changes which will advance
the clean cooking sector as a whole.

Title: Women at the Centre of Economic Recovery
As said by Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, Malaysia’s Prime Minister, women
were one of the most important pillars in all aspects of national
development.

While the world has achieved progress towards gender equality and
women’s empowerment under the Sustainable Development Goals
(SDGs), Malaysia is still afflicted by issues such as stigmatisation and
stereotyping which restrict their position in some areas, i.e., social welfare,
quality of life, financial stability, mental stability, due to traditional roles of
women in the society, particularly in care and nurturing.

The COVID-19 pandemic has heightened the urgency and significance of
the situation.

This presentation is designed to elicit narratives of Malaysia Innovation
Foundation (YIM) experiences and perspectives on the success in
facilitating innovative grassroots innovators and on factors that contribute
to that success especially to our women innovators.

8

Invited Speaker 1: Dr. Muhd Noor Muhd Yunus
Technical Specialist, Alam Flora Environmental Solution Sdn Bhd (AFES)
President, Malaysian Association of Research Scientists (MARS)

Professional Summary
1. Former DDG (R&D) Nuklear Malaysia till 2015
2. Technical Specialist Alam Flora Environmental Solution Sdn Bhd

(AFES) responsible for redesign, revamping Pangkor and Cameron
Highland Incinerators to meet more stringent emission regulation,
economical operation and high plant availability. Also participate in
advising AFES in strategic directions in technology development.
3. Board member and advisor to EPIC Sdn Bhd, a Cenviro spin-off,
involved in training of scheduled waste, technology development, etc
4. Board member of AELB, advising and reviewing and approvals of
licensing and atomic regulation compliances as per Act 304 (1985).
5. Director of TGL (Uganda) responsible for the establishment of gamma
irradiation facility for food and agro phyto-sanitary controls, including
of transfer of technology from Malaysia to Uganda
6. Advisor to ECE Sdn Bhd responsible for commercializing nuclear
related products (namely chitosan and bio-fertilizer) as a result of
successful R&D conducted by Nuklear Malaysia.
7. EIA Guideline expert for the development for NORM materials and
waste, commissioned by DoE Malaysia through Chemsains
Comsultant Sdn Bhd
8. EIA Guideline expert for the development of fossil fuel and nuclear
power plant commissioned by DoE Malaysia through Dr Nik and
Associates Sdn Bhd.
9. EIA Consultant Expert for Ion Adsorption Clay Rare Earth Element
Extraction project in Perak and Pahang
10. DoE EIA Expert Panel for Lynas Permanent Disposal Facility for
Lynas NORM waste
11. President, Malaysian Association of Research Scientist (MARS)

9

Title: Nuclear Technology Sustainability and WiN in Malaysia
Nuclear technology development has progressed to great length globally
and locally, including addressing the sustainability issues as per
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). However, the role and
participation of women which is not well represented in global nuclear
industries has been highlighted at global agencies like IAEA etc. Thus,
besides addressing the contribution of nuclear technologies in the SDGs,
the pursuit of calling more women to be involved in nuclear industries are
also challenging. In Malaysia, we need to address how nuclear technology
can contribute into our national economy which conforms to SDGs as well
as canvasing the roles of women in the said sector and compare to global
situation. The nuclear technology development in Malaysia shall be defined
by putting local context of resources availability and national strength,
political settings, government policies and social awareness and
acceptance. The technologies shall be economically relevance, socially
compatible thus complying to SDGs. Though those issues have been dealt
with before, it is worthy to recalibrate our standing. WiN in Malaysia almost
conforms in terms of gender representation, ranking and positions as well
as expertise, however, more emphasis shall be devoted to promoting the
awareness and acceptance of the technology as it is always controversial
- such as faced by Lynas in 2011 and the biggest blow was the disband of
Malaysia Nuclear Power Corporation (MNPC) in 2019. This paper will
discuss the various SDGs that typically addressed by nuclear technology
putting into Malaysian context, the strategic areas of priorities and R&D
innovations that might contribute to SDGs, promoting and communicating
the findings and outcomes to the society at large with the objective of
gaining higher level of acceptability and support by various stakeholders.
The roles of WiN are highlighted contextually.
Keywords: Nuclear technology, sustainability, women in nuclear

10

Invited Speaker 2: Prof. Dr. Kwan Hoong Ng, PhD, FInstP, DABMP,
FASc
Department of Biomedical Imaging, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur

Academic Qualification
Prof. Ng received his M.Sc. (Medical Physics) from the University of
Aberdeen and Ph.D. (Medical Physics) from the University of Malaya.

Professional Summary
Prof. Ng is the recipient of the Merdeka Award (2020) for Outstanding
Scholastic Achievement.

Prof. Ng is a professor at the Department of Biomedical Imaging, University
of Malaya. He was the recipient of the Marie Skłodowska Curie Award in
2018 given by the International Organization of Medical Physics for his
excellent contribution to research, education and leadership. He is certified
by the American Board of Medical Physics and was a visiting scientist at
the University of Wisconsin. He consults for the International Atomic
Energy Agency (IAEA) in radiation safety, dosimetry, quality control in
radiology. He was also a member of the IAEA comprehensive study team
working on the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant disaster.

Prof. Ng was honoured as one of the top 50 medical physicists in the world
by the International Organization of Medical Physics in 2013. Prof. Ng has
authored/ co-authored over 230 papers in peer-reviewed journals, 30 book
chapters, co-edited eight books. He has been directing research initiatives
in breast imaging, radiogenomics risk communication and radiation
dosimetry.

Title: Dr. Wu Chien-Shiung – the First Lady of Physics Cooperation
On Feb 11, 2021 the US Postal Service issued a special stamp in honour
of Dr Wu Chien-Shiung, a renowned nuclear physicist. She contributed to
the Manhattan project and led the ground-breaking experiment that proved
the violation of parity conservation in weak interaction. Sadly, she was
overlooked for the Nobel Prize.

Dr. Wu’s story is one of love of learning, and her courage and persistence
to succeed in a society and a professional field (physics) that, at the time,
was less than welcoming. We thank Dr. Wu for her courage.

We are still learning from her today.

11

Invited Speaker 3: Dr. Noor Hasnah Mohamed Khairullah
Vice President of WiN Malaysia

Academic Qualification
PhD (PHARM SCI), University of Nottingham, United Kingdom

Professional Summary
- Retired Research Officer (Malaysian Nuclear Agency)
- Former Special Advisor to the Director General of Atomic Energy

Licensing Board (AELB) (2012-2014)
- Former Science Attache and Alternate to the Permanent

Representative at the Malaysian Permanent Mission to the IAEA in
Vienna, Austria (2005-2011)
- Former Mission Leader for the IAEA Programme of Action for Cancer
Therapy (PACT) Missions to Mongolia and Sri Lanka (2011)
- Certified HRDF Trainer
- Certified Associate Coach

Title: We Need to Talk
One of WiN Malaysia’s mission is to spread and share information
regarding the benefits of nuclear and radiation technology. In fact, due to
the instant access to, and rapid dissemination of nuclear misinformation
and disinformation, all of us in the nuclear community, also bear the
responsibility to communicate factual and unbiased information to the
general public, whenever and wherever possible, in order to dispel
unfounded fears, clear misconceptions and curb malicious rumours
regarding nuclear technology.

12

Invited Speaker 4: Wan Hasamudin Wan Hassan
Principal Research Officer, Malaysian Palm Oil Board, Kuala Lumpur
(MPOB)

Academic Qualification
MPhil (Science)

Professional Summary
- 30 years in R&D particularly on bio-based chemicals from oil palm

biomass, bio-processing and bio-based materials
- Development and establishment of biofuel/biodiesel policy
- National programme for biodiesel implementation in transportation

sector
- Currently attached with Corporate Implementation & Consultancy

Unit:- managing Intellectual Property especially patents based on
technologies and/or products developed by MPOB which are related
to oil palm industry

Title: Importance of Patent in Designing Research Project
It is essential for researchers to conduct a patent search as part of their
literature review prior to designing their respective R&D projects. The
advantages of doing patent search among others are: (i) Optimum
management of resources particularly on financial aspect; about 30% of
R%D budgets are wasted on developing inventions and/or technologies
that exist; (ii) Better information of technical and research data in which
relevant technical and scientific data are found only in patents, not in
published paper or article thus providing better direction in implementing
research projects; (iii) Use inventions for free, since patents do expire after
20 years, which mean the information in the invention can be used in the
research project. Even if the patent is still valid, there are rooms for
improvement and enhancement; (iv) Assist in applying for a patent filing on
our research. Doing patent search can help us to identify what others have
done or doing in similar area of research and confirm if our work is unique,
inventive and industrial applicability. Therefore, patent search is one of the
valuable exercise which is important for the R&D&C programme to be more
cost effective.

13

Invited Speaker 5: Devi Durgaashini A/P Ramesh
President, Nuclear Engineering Student Society (NESS)

Academic Qualification
Bachelor’s Degree in Nuclear Engineering (3rd year student)

Professional Summary
2020-Present
7th President @ NESS
A Student-led organization affiliated under Universiti Teknologi Malaysia
since 2014. This organization exclusively focuses on providing leadership
opportunities for Nuclear Engineering students as well as expanding
nuclear knowledge among the public through innovative programmes and
projects.

Founder @ NESS Podcast
NESS Podcast is the latest initiative by NESS to bring together world
Nuclear Leaders virtually, sharing their experiences, journey and the
nuclear diversity to public in order to create interests as well as providing
the accurate knowledge regarding nuclear industries.

Co-Founder @ Bunga Raya Blossom
A women-led NGO newly forming in order to boost leadership qualities
among females in Malaysia regardless of the ages.

- Country Marketing director @ ASEAN Youth Advocates
- Public Relations Officer @ Australian National University (ANU)

ASEAN
- Head of Department @ Students Union Interim

Former experiences
- Former founder @ ELECTRONS
- Former Malaysian Delegate @ Common Purpose
- Former delegate recipient volunteer @ APEC 2020
- Former Operations Associate @ Action Learning Programme
- ULDP AXIATA Alumni
- Former Head of Corporate Affairs @ ASEAN Debate

14

Title: Women’s Role in Leadership and Promoting Nuclear Knowledge
Women have always been apparent as the mother figure, the soft hearted,
the vulnerable and the wife rather than a change-maker, a leader or the
one that runs the world. Such ethos have restricted us from the
transformation towards betterment over the centuries. Education and men-
dominated professions were always a challenge due to community
stereotypes over what we “can” or “cannot” do. Regardless of those, there
are some extravagant differences now than back then. The “minorities” are
becoming the competing factor for some. Women empowerment has
become a part of leadership in schools, universities and the public. Nuclear
is an industry where women are outnumbered but with organizations like
WIN empowering our involvements in leadership, we could see a drastic
rise of females in this field. Although, globally we could see a change,
specifically Malaysia is still in the process to reach there. Being the change
is the way rather than hoping for a change. As individuals, each one of us
are capable of being the leader showing the way. As a community, it is our
duty to be each other’s backbones. Sliding in some of my own experiences,
there has never been women leaders in the higher committee of NESS until
this year. It is indeed a special year for NESS celebrating our wide range
of opportunities to students regardless of gender, race and we are simply
about equality. With the change, we were able to influence a number of
students to gain confidence in leadership. I have been the only woman
attending some events which made me realize how weak was the spirit
among the female youngsters in our country. Change is never easy but it
is always worth a try because there will come a day like today where we
can witness rows of women leaders siting in the front.

15

P1: Dr. Chai Chee Keong

Author: Chai Chee Keong, Sofian Ibrahim, and Mohd Noorwadi Mat

Lazim

Title: Radiation Prevulcanization of Natural Rubber Latex: Obstacles

and Challenges

Affiliation Malaysian Nuclear Agency, Bangi, 43000 KAJANG, Selangor,

Malaysia

Corresponding author: [email protected]

Radiation vulcanization of natural rubber latex (RVNRL) is a natural rubber
latex prevulcanized by using ionizing radiation such as gamma radiation
and electron beam. In 1981, International Atomic Energy Agency has
started a regional cooperative project on RVNRL that involved countries in
the Asia and Pacific Region that aimed to develop this technology via
intensive and systematic approaches. Under this initiative, Malaysian
Nuclear Agency has undertaken the responsibility to research and develop
RVNRL from laboratory scale to establishment of a RVNRL pilot plant for
promotional, commercialization and R&D purpose in 1996. Despite having
this pilot plant and innumerable efforts and attempts, this technology has
yet to be fully taken or adopted by related industries. This paper discussed
some major obstacles that have been blocking the way to
commercialization of RVNRL technology, which includes inferiority in
mechanical properties, high capital investment and maintenance cost.
Challenges faced in attempt to remove those obstacles were also
elaborated.

Keywords: radiation vulcanization, natural rubber latex

16

P2: Dr. Nor Azillah Fatimah Othman

Authors Nor Azillah Fatimah Othman, Nor Azwin Shukri, and Sarala
Selambakkannu

Title Preparation and Properties of Biodegradable Dual-layer
PHA/PCL Mulch Film for Agricultural Use

Affiliation Radiation Processing Technology Division, Malaysian Nuclear
Agency, Bangi, 43000 Kajang, Selangor

Corresponding author: [email protected]

Agricultural mulch film is a common practice in farming for weed control,
disease protection and maintaining the soil temperature. Biodegradable
mulch film is considered as an environmental-friendly alternative to the
synthetic non-degradable mulch since its biodegradability allows it to fully
degrade without releasing any micro-plastic to the environment. A dual-
layer biodegradable PHA-based mulch film with dual-properties; (1) outer
layer film that can contain seeds for cultivation (pre-seeding), and (2) act
as a mulch to supress weed is prepared via radiation-induced polymer
modification. To retard the excessively fast biodegradation of PHA,
additional film layering with PCL, or blend of PHA with PCL will be carried
out. The dual-layer film will be subjected to radiation crosslinking whereby
the effect of absorbed radiation dose on the degree of crosslinking and
thermal stability will be studied. Subsequently, an investigation on the
effect of additional film layering with PCL, or blend of PHA with PCL on the
thermal stability and biodegradability will be conducted. Properties of the
biodegradable dual-layer PHA/PCL mulch film will be evaluated thoroughly
before it can be applied for agricultural use. Once the film is proved to be
suitable for the purpose, observation will be carried out in the future for the
rice plantation covered with or without mulch film to evaluate the growth
performance and weed control efficiency. Four types of common weed in
rice field (Echinochloa Crus-Galli, Leptochloa Chinensis, Cyperus Iria and
Fimbristylis Miliaceae) will be sown in lab-scale planting pot/box and
growth of weeds (weed count, weed type and weed biomass) will be
monitored and measured daily. It was reported that weed infestation may
reduce rice yield as much as 45 to 50% in direct seeded rice field.
Therefore, this study is important to ensure that the rural communities have
the opportunities to generates their economic through improvement in crop
production, which align with One of the NKRA (National Key Result Area)
that helps the GTP (Government Transformation Programme) is raising
living standard of lower income household.

Keyword: biodegradable, mulch film, radiation crosslink, agriculture, PHA

17

P3. Dr. Noraishah Othman

Authors Noraishah Othman, Nazrul Hizam Yusoff, Norman
Shah@Lahasen, Roslan Yahya, Mohd Amirul Syafiq Yunos,
Mohd Fitri Abdul Rahman, Azhani Mohd Razali, Mohamad
Rabaie Shari, Hearie Hassan, Airwan Affendy Mahmood, and
Nurliyana Abdullah

Title Verification of Pipe Leakage in Buried Pipelines of Gas District
Cooling (GDC) Systems using Radiotracer Technology

Affiliation Plant Assessment Technology (PAT), Industrial Technology
Division (BTI), Malaysian Nuclear Agency, 43000 Kajang,
Selangor, MALAYSIA

Corresponding author: [email protected]

Malaysian Nuclear Agency (Nuclear Malaysia) under the Ministry of
Science, Technology & Innovation (MOSTI) has offered Gas District
Cooling System (GDC) of its Plant 3, a radiotracer technology to tackle a
specific problem of theirs. This radiotracer technology was proposed to be
implemented on their 6km length buried pipeline with 3-4 meters depth, in
order to identify and verify the presence of underground leakage along their
pipelines. To date, the plant has experienced water losses, where it has to
top up about 4 m3 of volume daily for the last 2 years. Leak detection using
radiotracer techniques is one of the most widespread applications of
radiotracers in industry. Radiotracer technology is very sensitive, effective
and competitive for on-line leak detection. Moreover, it is used for on-line
leak detection and can achieve the detection limits up to 0.1% of stream
flow.

The management of Plant 3-GDC wanted the diagnostic of the plant to be
carried out immediately. Thus, Plant Assessment Technology (PAT) team
decided to opt for Velocity Drop Method for further investigation. Any drop
of velocity or flow rate from upstream to downstream fluid flow is
susceptible to potential leak area. In this work, our team had mounted
Sodium Iodide (NaI) detectors on the pipe lines, accessible through Valve
Chamber (VC) pits. Thus, the detectors were in very good contact with the
pipe that led to accurate data acquisition.

Keywords: Radiotracer Technology, underground pipelines, leakage,
Velocity Drop Method

18

P4. Dr. Phua Choo Kwai Hoe

Authors Phua Choo Kwai Hoe, Nur Humaira Lau Abdullah, Ahmad
Nazrul Abd Wahid, Mohd. Noor Hidayat Adenan, Chong Saw
Peng and Rosnani Abdul Rashid

Title Success Story of Biofertiliser Commercialisation with Nuclear
Technology

Affiliation Malaysian Nuclear Agency, Bangi, 43000 KAJANG, Selangor,
Malaysia

Corresponding author: [email protected]

Biofertilisers, also called ‘microbial inoculants’ are important for sustainable
agriculture and integrated nutrient management. Apart from being eco-
friendly and cost effective, these microorganisms create a healthy
rhizosphere by converting and making natural nutrients available through
N2 fixation, phosphate solubilisation and potassium solubilisation.
Biofertiliser development project at Nuclear Malaysia started in 2002 under
Forum for Nuclear Cooperation in Asia (FNCA) biofertiliser project. Earlier
projects started with free-living N2 fixing bacteria, arbuscular mycorrhizal
fungi, phosphate solubilising microbes and plant growth promoting
rhizobacteria (PGPR). Currently, the projects were focus on multifunctional
activities of biofertiliser. Nuclear technology, viz. utilisation of radiation and
isotopic tracers N15, is integral to this project, which aims to produce
international standard biofertiliser products, emphasizing on quality, safety
and efficacy of the product. N15 stable isotope can be used to determine
the optimum nutrient requirements from the biofertiliser. It is important to
ensure the biofertiliser can be used efficiently without expending extra cost.
Ionising radiation is utilised for sterilisation of substrates or carriers for
biofertiliser inoculants, and it is also used in mutagenesis of
microorganisms for desired characters, while isotopes are used to assess
the efficiency of the products as indicated by uptake of specific nutrient
elements by the plant. By using these nuclear technologies, Nuclear
Malaysia has produced several biofertiliser products viz. Multifuctional
Biofert PG & PA, MF-Bio-pellet, BioNIK-P, gamma sterilisation mushroom
spent compost carrier and biofertiliser M99. Three multifunctional liquid
fertilisers had been commercial in year 2018 and 2019 namely, Bioliquifert
(mixture of biofertilizer strains AP2 and AP3); GoGrow BioNPK and
biofertiliser M99 (Single strain of biofertiliser with multifunctional namely
AP1 and M99). A great achievement of the project was in year 2020. A
total of 400,000 L Bioliquifert were distributed to paddy growers in West
Malaysia from January to October 2020 that generated RM 6800,000.00 of
sales. Nuclear Malaysia also successfully registered one trademark
(Bioliquifert) and three standard operation procedure (SOP) copyrights. In

19

conclusion, nuclear techniques could be a useful tool for biofertilizer
research and commercialisation.
Keywords: Nuclear technology, biofertiliser, gamma sterilisation,

mutagenesis, isotopic tracer technique

20

P5. Norazlina Noordin
Authors Norazlina Noordin1*, Ain Nur Najwa Samsudin2, Nashimatul

Adadiah Yahya1, and Nurhayati Irwan1
Title Pre-screening of Acute Gamma-Irradiated Pisang Berangan

against Abiotic Stress: Drought-Tolerance
Affiliation 1Agrotechnology and Biosciences Division, Malaysian Nuclear

Agency, Bangi, 43000 KAJANG, MALAYSIA.
2Universiti Teknologi Mara, Kampus Kuala Pilah, 72000 KUALA
PILAH, MALAYSIA
Corresponding author: [email protected]

In Malaysia, banana is the second most commonly grown fruit. Currently,
overall banana production has decreased due to the increasing threat of
Fusarium wilt disease and other environmental factors. Pisang Berangan
is a popular dessert cultivar from the Musa Acuminata group with AAA
genotype. Bananas with AAA genotype are generally susceptible of
environmental stresses that are categorized as abiotic stress and biotic
stress. Pre-screening of banana seedlings at lab-stage seems to be an
effective method for early detection of abiotic and biotic stresses. In this
study, ramets of acute gamma irradiated banana cv. Berangan with
pseudo-stem height of 10-15 cm were soaked in different concentrations
of D-Sorbitol (w/v). The D-sorbitol soaked ramets were screened and
observation on wilting symptoms were carried out. In this paper, soaking of
irradiated ramets in D-Sorbitol, observation for early detection of drought
symptoms and ramets growth performance will be discussed.

21

P6. Roha Tukimin

Authors Roha Tukimin, Wan Syazlin Wan Yunoh, and Nur Afrina Zainal
Title A Study on 5G Radiofrequency Electromagnetic Fields

Measurement Methodology
Affiliation Radiation Health and Safety Division, Non-ionising Radiation

Group, Malaysian Nuclear Agency, Bangi, 43000 KAJANG,
Selangor, Malaysia
Corresponding author: [email protected]

5G is the fifth-generation technology for cellular networks. It can be
described as high performances network technology, low latency, faster
upload and download, massive network capability and it can improve
efficiency for current network communication. 5G is using massive MIMO
(multiple input, multiple output) antennas that have very large numbers of
antenna elements or connections to provide wide service coverage. The
5G network operates up to three frequency bands ,namely low, medium
and high frequency. This technology deployment will significantly
contribute in various applications such as communication, education,
health industry, manufacturing, tourism , agriculture and many more, but it
also has been seen as a threat to human health. This is due to
radiofrequency electromagnetic fields (RF-EMF)) radiation exposure emits
by 5G transmitter which placed adjacent to the residential and commercial
area. As public concern on 5G deployment and its negative impact, the RF
radiation emits by 5G transmitter shall be assessed and comply with the
permissible RF exposure limit to human. This paper discusses the RF-EMF
measurements aspects related to 5G technology and MIMO beamforming
antenna. Broadband measurement and frequency-selective measurement
were considered to be conducted to determine the RF level. Besides that,
5G RF exposure measurement methodology for beamforming MIMO
antenna and safety assessment aspects related matters will be discussed.
Proper measurement methodology is essential for 5G EMF radiation level
monitoring to ensure the values are at safe level and comply with the
permissible exposure limits.

Keywords: 5G, electromagnetic fields, measurement

22

P7. Salmah Moosa

Authors Salmah Moosa, Mohd Hidayat Adenan, Siti Aminah Omar, and
Nur Hafizati Abd Halim

Title Food Fraud and Adulteration: Can We Prevent It?
Affiliation Agrotechnology and Bioscience Division, Malaysian Nuclear

Agency, 43000 Kajang, Selangor
Corresponding author: [email protected]

Consumers expect food and drink to be safe, of high quality, and to
originate from the claimed country of origin. Authenticity is an essential part
of integrity for any business. Food fraud is on the rise. You must be certain
ingredients reflect their stated origin and composition to protect your
reputation. Fraud is an increasing problem at every stage of the food and
beverage supply chain. Olive oil, milk, honey, orange juice, fish, coffee,
herbs, and spices, such as vanilla and saffron, are all commonly
adulterated or misrepresented for financial gain. Recent figures from the
EU have shown exponential growth in cases of mislabeling, falsified or
absent documentation, use of unapproved processes, and the
replacement, dilution or addition to a product. To defend against food fraud
and safeguard their reputation, food and beverage businesses need a way
to verify the authenticity of the ingredients they use. The isotope fingerprint
of an ingredient is unique. Its signature comprises the ratios of five key
elements – carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, hydrogen and sulfur – each affected
by the environmental conditions specific to its place of origin. This signature
is therefore unique to the ingredient, its site of production and any
processing it has undergone. This study is a systematic literature review of
geographical origin authentication by elemental analytical techniques.
Authentication and certification of geographic origin of agri-food products
is a useful tool toward the protection of the quality for products.

Keywords: Food traceability, food authenticity, food fraud, geographical
origin, IRMS

23

P8. Dr. Julia Abdul Karim

Authors Julia Abdul Karim1, Abi Muttaqin Jalal Bayar1 and Azahari
Kasbollah2

Title Radiation Safety and Control in Radioisotopes Production at
PUSPATI TRIGA Reactor (RTP)

Affiliation 1Reactor Technology Center, Technical Support Division,
2Medical Technology Division
Malaysian Nuclear Agency, Bangi, 43000 KAJANG, Selangor,
Malaysia

Corresponding author: [email protected]

Radioisotopes are mainly produced using research reactors or particle
accelerators. It involves few activity stages, including target fabrication,
irradiation in a reactor or accelerator, transportation, radiochemical
processing, quality control, and transportation to the end-users. At every
stage of the production, it incurs with radiation safety and control measures
to avoid any radiological consequences and safe handling of the
substances. In the irradiation process, the (n, ) reaction produces the
radioisotope by radiative capture that usually could not be chemically
separated. The specific activity was limited by the neutron flux available in
the reactor. This paper described the production processes, including the
choice of target materials, irradiation processes at the research reactor
facility, radiation safety control measures taken in the case study of
Samarium-153 productions using PUSPATI TRIGA Reactor.

Keywords: radioisotopes, radiological consequences, control measure,
neutron flux, samarium-153

24

P9. Dr. Mazleha Maskin

Authors Mazleha Maskin1*, Zaredah Hashim1, Julia Abdul Karim1, Mohd
Huzair Husain1, Phongsakorn Prak Tom1, Ahmad Hassan
Sharifuddin Mohd Sarif2, Fedrick Charlie Brayon3, Mohd Zulfadli
Ramli3, and Faizal Mohamed4

Title Development of Level I Probabilistic Safety Assessment at
PUSPATI TRIGA Reactor

Affiliation 1Reactor Technology Center, Malaysian Nuclear Agency,
Bangi, 43000 KAJANG, Selangor, Malaysia
2Physics and Chemistry Department, Faculty of Applied
Sciences and Technology, Universiti Tun Hussein Onn
Malaysia, Johor, Malaysia
3Atomic Energy Licensing Board, Selangor, Malaysia
4School of Applied Physics, Faculty of Science and Technology,
Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Selangor, Malaysia

Corresponding author: [email protected]

The development of probabilistic safety assessment (PSA) approach at
PUSPATI TRIGA reactor (RTP), touches on all the PSA key aspects, not
just focusing on systems analysis, but also the plant internal and external
consequences. Besides achieving safe and reliable operation, the ability
of PSA to understand better, the safety characteristics of the reactor and
to base any backfitting on a cost-benefit analysis which would ensure that
only necessary changes are made are among the best criteria of PSA. The
main purpose of this paper is to introduce the benefits of PSA methodology.
In particular, aiming at introducing a systematic approach to improve
understanding of the design and operation of RTP, through analyses of a
range of postulated accident sequences, in order to more rationally deploy
limited resources on safety issues.

Keywords: probabilistic safety assessment, TRIGA Mark II, research
reactor, Malaysia

25

P10. Shamesh Raj Parthasarathy

Authors Shamesh Raj Parthasarathy1, Zulkifli Yusof1, Norhanini
Tajudin2, and Fatiah Najwa Zul2

Title Safety Assessment and Evaluation on Hand-held Laser
Pointers

Affiliation 1Non-Ionizing Radiation (NIR) Group, Radiation Health and
Safety Division, Malaysian Nuclear Agency, Bangi, 43000
KAJANG, Selangor, Malaysia
2Universiti Teknologi Malaysia

Corresponding author: [email protected]

Hand-held LASER pointers have been widely used around the world. The
most common ones are the laser pointers used in presentations and
demonstrations. Several other usages of laser pointers are for
entertainments, toys and hobbies. With the advancement in laser
technology, more powerful and more visible wavelengths of laser pointers
have been manufactured. Most of these devices are low cost, operated
with AAA batteries, and produce a beam that can be seen easily hundreds
of meters away. Although most of these devices contain warning labels,
many have been erroneously advertised as "safe”. For this reason, many
countries have issued restrictions or regulations on the power limit of the
laser pointers used for demonstration purposes. At present, there are none
of these regulations on the sale and use of laser pointers in Malaysia. In
this study, the output power and the wavelength of 25 laser pointers
randomly purchased from various sources were measured and evaluated.
The output power from each laser pointers were compared with the safety
level with respect to the limits stated in the International Electrotechnical
Commission (IEC) 60825-1 and American National Standard for the Safe
Use of Lasers: ANSI Z-136.1. From the study, 60% of the Laser pointers
were emitting higher output power value and 40% of the Laser pointers
were displaying different wavelength value compared to the value labeled
by the manufacturer.

Keywords: LASER Pointers, LASER Safety.

26

P11: Sabariah Kader Ibrahim
Authors Sabariah Kader Ibrahim, Muhammed Zulfakar Zolkaffly, Mohd

Khairul Azfar Ramli
Title Preliminary Assessment of Nuclear Cybersecurity Using Self

Assessment Approach.
Affiliation Malaysian Nuclear Agency, Bangi, 43000 KAJANG, Selangor,

Malaysia
Corresponding author: [email protected]
Exposure to unnecessary cyber risks could prove detrimental to agency’s
operational and critical systems, as well as crucially impact upon its
reputation. This highlights the importance of embedding cyber security,
which is led from the agency’s dedicated IT management team and aided
by a secure infrastructure and practices, throughout the agency. As part of
nuclear security assessment process conducted recently at Nuklear
Malaysia, the assessment team has also piloted a cyber security
assessment with the purpose to evaluate the agency’s preparedness in
mitigating potential cyber risks. This paper presents general observations
from the assessment, particularly about the varied cyber security
management and practices of the agency. The results of assessment
would allow the agency to identify key areas of improvements and actions
that may be taken to improve cyber security to reduce the cyber risks.
Keywords : Cybersecurity, Self Assessment, Cyber risk

27

P12: Ruzalina Baharin

Authors Ruzalina Baharin and Siti A’iasah Hashim
Title Current Challenges of Radiation Processing Industry in

Malaysia
Affiliation Technical Support Division, Malaysian Nuclear Agency, Bangi,

43000 KAJANG, Selangor, Malaysia
Corresponding author: [email protected]

The first radiation processing plant in Malaysia using cobalt-60 sources
was established in 1989 to serve in-house production of medical devices.
Nuclear Malaysia, at the same year, was developed multi-purpose pilot
facility of gamma irradiator (from cobalt-60) dedicated for research and
development (R&D) work. One year later, first electron beam (EB) facility
in Malaysia was established in Nuclear Malaysia. Since then Malaysia seen
few numbers of radiation processing plant established for commercial
applications and R&D purposes. As in Jan 2020, Malaysia has 6 gamma
irradiators and 4 EB irradiators, with 3 plants are government owned and 7
plants belong to private company. The growth helps Malaysia to sustain
economically in medical devices, electric and electrical (E&E), automotive
and food industries. This paper describes challenges facing by radiation
processing plant especially EB irradiators due to the aging factor. Three
main issues identified are lacking expert support for EB machine, poor
maintenance, and expensive price of spare-parts. These factors reduce the
efficiency of irradiator operations and disrupt the production or supply chain
of the final product.

Keywords: radiation, electron beam irradiator, gamma irradiator, aging
management

28

P13. Nur Fatin Humaira Jamaluddin

Authors Nur Fatin Humaira Jamaluddin, Syazwani Mohd Fadzil, Khoo
Kok Siong

Title Study on Determination of Leaching Rate from Naturally
Occurring Radioactive Material and Heavy Elements in Tin Slag

Affiliation Department of Applied Physics, Faculty of Science and
Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600 Bangi,
Selangor

Corresponding author: [email protected]

Tin slag is the waste from the pyrometallurgical processing of tin ores. Tin
slag contained naturally occurring radioactive materials (NORM) such as
U and Th, and heavy elements in significant numbers. However, since early
2005, the research interest in tin slag has increased steadily especially in
environmental research and application of tin slag as road construction.
This paper focused on measuring the release of U and Th, as well as heavy
elements from tin slag using leaching tests. Batch leaching tests were used
and adapted from Method 1330 Toxicity Characteristics Leaching
Procedure. To characterize a detailed leaching mechanism, a Dutch tank
leaching test (NEN 7345) has been used. Leachate was analysed by
Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry. Results show the
leaching rate of As (0.603 ± 0.07mg/L), Ba (67.408 ± 2.06), Cr (3.901 ±
0.43), Pb (0.035 ± 0.02), Se (0.202 ± 0.01), Ag (0.002 ± 0.00), U (0.512 ±
0.09) and Th (0.098 ± 0.04) using batch leaching test, were below the
standard by Environmental Protection Agency limit. The tank leaching rate
of U and Th, as well as heavy metals were too low and insignificant.
Therefore, both leaching tests show low release of tin slag in the
environment and can be further considered to reused in road construction.

29

P14. Wan Syazlin Wan Yunoh

Authors Wan Syazlin Wan Yunoh, Roha Tukimin, and Nur Afrina Zainal
Title Development on Laser Safety Management Programme in

Malaysia
Affiliation Malaysian Nuclear Agency, Bangi, 43000 KAJANG, Selangor,

Malaysia
Corresponding author: [email protected]

Laser Safety Management is an approach of optimizing the safe design
and use of laser technology with minimum risk to safety and health.
Currently, Malaysia has a Code of Practice for Medical Lasers but this
application is not only limited to medical fields, but intensively used in other
industries. Due to the risk of safety especially towards eyes and skin, it is
classified as hazardous equipment. The laser safety management
programme shall be introduced and practiced by all laser application
users. The laser safety management programme contains control
measures and administration procedures for a good safety practice on
laser usage. Four main laser standards, namely British Standard/ BS
EN60825-1, The International Electro-Technical Commission (IEC)/
Document 60825-1, The American National Standards Institute (ANSI)/
Z136.1 and The Center for Devices and Radiological Health (CDRH)/
Federal Laser Product Performance Standard (FLPPS) are being refered
in the development process and implementation of safety management .
There will be a list of basic laser safety criteria, organizational structure and
responsibilities, medical survelience programme, operational aspects,
quality assurance, documentation, training and establishing control
measures to be included in the programme. This programme shall be a
concern to Malaysians to ensure the protection of any personnel related
to laser application.

Keywords: Laser, safety programme, standard

30

P15. Dr. Siti Najila Mohd Janib
Authors Siti Najila Mohd Janib
Title Nuclear Medicine in Developing Potential New Therapeutics for

Combating COVID-19
Affiliation Malaysian Nuclear Agency, Bangi, 43000 KAJANG, Selangor,

Malaysia
Corresponding author: [email protected]
Since its emergence in December 2019, the coronavirus disease 2019
(COVID-19) has profoundly affected the health and economies of countries
worldwide. Current pandemic management strategies include early
diagnosis, treatment and long term immunization.
At this time, there is no specific anti-viral treatment for the disease. Hence,
there is an urgent clinical need for innovative therapeutic strategies that
may contribute to manage the COVID-19 outbreak and future pandemics.
To assist in this effort, this paper will explore the potential uses of nuclear
medicine in developing potential new therapeutics to combat COVID-19.
In particular, we will discuss the diagnostic, prognostic and therapeutic
applications of radiopharmaceuticals in realizing this goal

31

P16. Hasfazilah Hassan

Authors Hasfazilah Hassan, Faizal Mohamed
Title Nuclear Security Culture Self Assessment.
Affiliation Malaysian Nuclear Agency, Bangi, 43000 KAJANG, Selangor,

Malaysia
Corresponding author: [email protected]

An organization may have appropriate technical systems in place but
remain vulnerable if it underestimates effective nuclear security culture. All
organizations and individuals involved in implementing nuclear security
should give due priority to the nuclear security culture with regard to
radioactive material. An effective nuclear security culture depends on
proper planning, training, awareness, competence, knowledge, operations
and maintenance, as well as on the thoughts and actions of all people in
the organization. The objective of this paper is to demonstrate the
techniques used in applying the IAEA methodology among related
stakeholders in Malaysia and to discuss the outcomes and challenges of
the assessment. This involves evaluating the key characteristics of security
culture in the organization by comparing certain indicators of the current
culture with the reference levels of those indicators that would correspond
to an optimal security culture. The data collection consisted of surveys,
interviews, document reviews, and observations. The assessment of the
results showed that most of the security culture characteristics assessed
reflected some of the anticipated best practices and also demonstrated
strengths necessary in security culture. By examining the results, it is clear,
especially to the researchers, supporting staff and management personnel,
that further dissemination of nuclear security information and policy is
needed.

Keywords : nuclear security, self-assessments, woman in nuclear

32

(This page intentionally left blank)

33

Pos1: Dr. Leo Kwee Wah
Authors Leo Kwee Wah, S.A. Hashim, R.M. Chulan, M. Mokhtar, M.

Azhar , H. Baijan, R.M., and Sabri, M. Faiz
Title Success Story of Low Energy Electron Accelerator
Affiliation Malaysian Nuclear Agency, Bangi, 43000 KAJANG, Selangor,

Malaysia
Corresponding author: [email protected]
This paper describes the success story of a locally designed electron
accelerator named LEAA that was derived from Low Energy Electron
Accelerator. Nuklear Malaysia embarked on this project when a short
accelerating tube was obtained through a negotiation with Budker Institute
of Nuclear Physics (BINP), Russia. Initially the electron accelerator was
designed by using a power supply from an out of commissioned X-ray
machine. The accelerator, then fondly named as Baby-EB was the first
prototype running at maximum energy of ~140 keV. At this level of energy,
it was not practical to be used as an irradiation tool. Hence an upgrading
project was initiated complete with proper shielding and housing to ensure
that the end product can be utilised as a low energy electron beam
irradiator. The project was funded through the RMK11 development budget
and took 6 years to complete. The end result showcased a 200 keV, 10 mA
electron beam irradiator that is now serving as a tool for R&D in radiation
processing and applications.

34

35

Pos2: Muhammad Hannan Bahrin
Authors Muhammad Hannan Bahrin, Hasni Hasan, Fadil Ismail,

Muhammad Ibrahim Mohd Aminuddin, Mohd Yusof Abdullah
Sani, Syed Nasaruddin Syed Idris, and Razak Omar
Title Intubation Box: Nuclear Malaysia Experience
Affiliation Malaysian Nuclear Agency, Bangi, 43000 KAJANG, Selangor,
Malaysia
Corresponding author: [email protected]
The Malaysian Nuclear Agency has donated nine (9) intubation boxes to
selected hospitals during the enforcement of the Movement Control Order
(MCO) due to the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020. An intubation box or an
aerosol box is a transparent box that is used by medical practitioners during
the endotracheal intubation procedure for suspected Covid-19 patients
facing respiratory system failure. The box covers the patient’s head, neck
and chest and is used to protect healthcare workers from being exposed
to the Covid-19 virus aerosol particles while conducting the intubation
procedure. This paper will explain the Prototype and Plant Development
Centre’s (PDC) experience in designing and fabricating the intubation
boxes according to the input given by medical practitioners and ergonomic
studies.
Keyword: Intubation box, design, fabrication, Covid-19

36

37

Pos3: Dr. Zaiton Ahmad

Authors Zaiton Ahmad, Affrida Abu Hassan and Shakinah Salleh
Title A Review on Women’s Participation in Plant Mutation Breeding

in Malaysia (1980-2020)
Affiliation Agrotechnology and Biosciences Division, Malaysian Nuclear

Agency, Bangi, 43000 KAJANG, Selangor, Malaysia
Corresponding author: [email protected]

In 2020, women made up approximately 49.6 % of the total 7.79 billion
world population, whilst in Malaysia, according to the Department of
Statistics, approximately 15.9 million (or 48.6%) from the estimated total
population of 32.7 million were women. Malaysia is committed to close the
gender gap in STEM education and profession. According to a report by
UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS), the percentage of female
researchers in science in Malaysia was 48.2%, in 2016 which was relatively
higher that the world average of 29.3%. On the education front, female
students constituted more than 50% of the tertiary level students across
all STEM-related courses in 2015, except for engineering,
manufacturing and construction which only recorded approximately
38.7% of female students. Plant mutation breeding is a technology that
utilizes chemical and physical mutagens to generate genetic variations
in plants. Researchers involved in plant mutation breeding come from
various disciplines of biology or agriculture such as genetics,
biotechnology, horticulture, microbiology, agronomy, botany and others.
Between 1980 to 2020, a total of 66 permanently employed researchers
were identified to be involved in plant mutation breeding research in
Malaysia, with men and women shared an equal percentage of 50%
each. In terms of years, between 1980 to 2000, female researchers
constituted only 36.8% of the total 38 researchers during that period.
Between 2001 to 2010, the number of active researchers (men and
women) were drastically dropped to 24 and approximately 54.2% were
women. It is believed that at this period, most of the pioneer researchers
have been promoted to higher administrative positions at their
respective institutions. The number of active researchers increased to
34 for the period of 2011 to 2020 and the female researchers has slightly
outnumbered the males by 6. This paper discusses Malaysian women’s
participation and achievement in the area of plant mutation breeding as
well as issues and challenges faced in the last 40 years.

Keywords: Plant mutation breeding, women’s participation, female
researcher

38

39

Pos4: Dr. Susan Maria Sipaun
Authors Susan Sipaun1, W.R.W.M.A.U.B. Weerakoon2* and Hearie

Hassan1
Title Quantification of Porosity in Ceramic via Microtomography
Affiliation 1Malaysian Nuclear Agency, Bangi, 43000 Kajang, Selangor,

Malaysia
2Atomic Energy Authority of Sri Lanka, National Centre of Non-
Destructive Testing, Sri Lanka
Corresponding author: [email protected]
Micro-computed tomography (microCT) is a non-destructive evaluation
(NDE) tool that obtains cross sectional images for material investigation.
Porosity is analysed using ImageJ software. Images from several microCT
scans of an Al2O3 ceramic material were obtained and analysed. The
microCT equipment, SkyScan 1172, can capture up to 8000 x 8000 pixels
in every slice with the detectable limit up to 0.5 μm. This paper discusses
the method used to obtain the porosity value, and it was found that the
ceramic porosity content was 18.3 %.
Keywords: microCT, X-ray, porosity, imageJ

40

41

Pos5: Dr. Zainah Adam

Authors Zainah Adam1, Maznah Mahmud2 and Nadia Halib3
Title Biohybrid Scaffold for 3D Tissue Culture
Affiliation 1Kumpulan Teknologi Farmaseutikal, Bahagian Teknologi

Perubatan,
2Kumpulan Sinaran dan Modifikasi Polimer, Bahagian
Teknologi Pemprosesan Sinaran, Malaysian Nuclear Agency,
Bangi 43000 Kajang, Selangor Darul Ehsan
3Faculty of Dentistry, Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia, 71800
Bandar Baru Nilai, Negeri Sembilan Darul Khusus
Corresponding author: [email protected]

3D cell culture is an artificially-created culture environment in which
biological cells are permitted to grow or interact with their surroundings in
three dimensions. This arrangement makes the 3D cells almost similar to
living system and more reliable to be used in life sciences research.
Conventional cell culture models are in 2D mode or monolayer. There are
many limitations in 2D cell culture such as disturbance of interactions
between the cellular and extracellular environments, changes in cell
morphology, polarity, and method of division. This makes 2D cell culture
not resemble a living system and actually not so suitable to be used in life
sciences research. The limitations of 2D cell culture have led to the creation
of models which are more similar to the living system. In Agensi Nuklear
Malaysia, research on 3D cells was initiated few years back. This includes
the use of 3D cells as experimental subjects and development of scaffold
as a medium for 3D cell growth. Studies have been conducted to invent a
scaffold from natural polysaccharides, carrrageenan. In the study, the
carrageenan was mixed and cross-linked with commercial synthetic
polymer (PVP and PEG) to reduce its water soluble property. This will make
it last longer in aqueous cell culture media. The hybrid carrageenan was
characterized for its bio-compatibility and chemical property to ensure that
it is suitable for 3D cell growth. The hybrid material was then molded into a
micro-multiwell scaffold using a commercial molding system. The molded
scaffolds were placed in 12-well plate, freeze dried, packed and subjected
to gamma irradiation for sterilization. Biohybrid 3D Scaffold is the name of
our first invented hybrid carrageenan product used for 3D cell culture. The
product was made in ready-to-use form to facilitate researcher by reducing
scaffold preparation time.

Keywords: carrageenan; polysaccharides; 3D culture; scaffold

42

43

Pos6: Wan Syazlin Wan Yunoh

Authors Wan Syazlin Wan Yunoh, Roha Tukimin
Title A Profile Study of Ultraviolet (UVC) Irradiance from UVGI

Products
Affiliation Malaysian Nuclear Agency, Bangi, 43000 KAJANG, Selangor,

Malaysia
Corresponding author: [email protected]
Ultraviolet C (UVC) with wavelentgh range from 100 – 280 nm is the
shortest wavelength in Ultraviolet Radiation (UVR). This type of radiation
also known as germicidal. UVC from the sun is completely absorbed by the
ozone layer and atmosphere. During this pandemic of Covid-19, UVC has
been used as Ultra Violet Germicidal Irradiation (UVGI). The UVGI
normally has 253.7 to 254 nm wavelength. A profile study has been carried
out to measure the UVC radiation emitted by UVGI. In this study, we
measured UVGI sampels which can be used for disinfection purpose. The
irradiance of radiation emmitted by each sampel at difference distance was
measured by using radiometer. The units for parameter in this study are
microWatt/cm2 and Joule. We analysed the data for comparison between
measured irradiance with permissible exposure limit to the members of
public by International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection
(ICNIRP). According to this study, the irradiance of UVC emitted by UVGI
samples available in the market are higher compare to the permissible
exposure limit to human.

Keywords: UVC, UVGI, Exposure Limit

44

45

Pos7: Nurhayati Ramli
Authors Nurhayati Ramli, Muhammad Khairul Ariff Mustaffa, and Julia

Abdul Karim
Title Research Reactor Education & Training: The Role of Follow-up

Training Course on Reactor Engineering in Malaysia
Affiliation Malaysian Nuclear Agency, Bangi, 43000 KAJANG, Selangor,

Malaysia
Corresponding author: [email protected]
Since 2010, Malaysia has officially participated in the Instructor Training
Program (ITP) of the Reactor Engineering Course (ITC) organized by the
Nuclear Human Resources Development Center (NuHRDeC) at the Japan
Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA). This program aims to develop a self-
sustainable instructor in Asian countries. After receiving training in Japan,
the participants are obliged to disseminate the nuclear knowledge and
technology gained from the course through a Follow-Up Training Course
on Reactor Engineering (FTC-RE) in Malaysia. This article introduces FTC-
RE's role in supporting Education and Training (E&T) in Reactor
Technology in Malaysia.

46