Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin is scheduled to arrive in Seoul tonight to attend the 2012 Nuclear Security Summit opening tomorrow.      

Muhyiddin is to be accompanied by his wife, Noorainee Abdul Rahman.     

Some 53 world leaders, among them United States president Barack Obama, are scheduled to attend the two-day summit.     

Carrying the theme "Beyond Security, Towards Peace", the summit serves as a platform to, among others, seek ways to contain the spread of nuclear terrorism.  

It is the second such summit. The first was held in Washington in 2010, and was also attended by Malaysian prime minister Najib Tun Razak. Forty-seven countries participated then.     

Malaysian ambassador to South Korea Ramlan Ibrahim, speaking to Malaysian reporters ahead of the summit, said Muhyiddin's participation at the summit reflected Malaysia's strong support for efforts to strengthen and guarantee the security of nuclear materials and technology over the period until 2014, as proposed by Obama and agreed upon by the 47 participating countries at the 2010 summit.     

He also said that several countries have requested for bilateral meetings with Muhyiddin.  

Transport of radioactive materials discussed

According to Ramlan, the Seoul Communique was also expected to touch on issues ensuring the safety of highly enriched uranium and plutonium, two basic materials used in the making of the nuclear bomb.      

In addition, it would also touch on the promotion of transportation safety and opposing the illegal trading of nuclear materials and radioactive sources, as well as enhancing the security of confidential materials.     

Besides Malaysia, other Asean member countries invited to the summit are the Philippines, Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. Other countries included South Africa, Saudi Arabia, Brazil, China, India, Japan, Russia, France, Germany, Britain and Mexico.   

Five heads of international/regional organisations are also scheduled to attend the summit including the secretary-general of the United Nations (UN) Ban Ki-moon.      

Ramlan said that for the first time, nuclear safety would be discussed following the nuclear accident in Fukushima in March last year.     

Replying to a question, Ramlan said the North Korean nuclear issue was not in the agenda of the summit meeting.     

He said that besides Malaysia, many other countries that did not possess nuclear weapons and nuclear plant were invited to participate in the meeting, including those from among the Asean member countries.     

"This (nuclear safety) is a global effort to raise awareness...it needs the commitment of many other countries," he added.     

- Bernama