KOTA TINGGI, May 29 — The Science, Technology and Innovation Ministry (Mosti), through the Malaysian Department of Chemistry, is developing an RM10 million mobile chemistry lab that will be housed at the department’s headquarters in Petaling Jaya, Selangor.

Its minister, Datuk Seri Dr Adham Baba said the mobile lab is expected to be operational at the end of next year and can be used to investigate cases involving chemical pollution that require immediate analysis.

"For this mobile lab, the development cost is RM10 million and it can be necessary especially for chemical-related pollution.

"So the mobile lab can be mobilised instantly throughout the entire Peninsular Malaysia.

"This new approach by the Chemistry Department will greatly help in ensuring safety,” he told reporters after officiating a Chemistry Department programme in conjunction with the Johor Chemistry Department’s golden jubilee at Kampung Semangar Dalam multipurpose hall, Kota Tinggi here today.

Dr Adham also said that his ministry was developing two mobile lab busses worth RM200,000 a unit that are expected to begin operations early next year and will be stationed at Johor Bahru, Johor and Bintulu, Sarawak.

He said Johor Bahru was selected as that pollution cases occurred frequently in that district while Bintulu was an oil and gas industrial area.

"This is a new approach and if it is successful in the two areas, we can expand to other areas and we will try to seek allocation from the government so that there is one in each state in the future,” he said. — Bernama