The Klang MP said the World Nuclear Association (WNA) has published a report that the government was expected to come to a decision by the end of last year after five potential sites were identified in Peninsula Malaysia.

"But the government said that there is no decision yet and they have yet to identify the locations yet. Who is telling the truth?" he said at a press conference at the Parliament lobby.

In a written answer to a parliamentary question, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak said two nuclear power plants were mooted under the Economic Transformation Programme (ETP) to meet the country's future power demands.

The prime minister noted that the proposal is still being studied and that they have yet to decide on where the plants will be built should Malaysia choose to go nuclear.

However, a report on emerging nuclear energy countries, posted on the WNA's website, detailed plans by the government to get its first nuclear plant up and running by 2021, followed by another three or four reactors by 2030 with the aim of contributing between 10 and 15 per cent of the country's power.

The report, which was last updated this month, also stated that the Energy Green Technology and Water Ministry had identified five possible locations in Peninsula Malaysia to set up the nuclear plants.

Charles said the conflicting accounts from the government and WNA is worrying, as it leaves the public in the dark on whether or not the country will adopt nuclear power.

If the WNA's report is true, then it means that the government could very well be moving ahead with the proposal without holding any public consultation.

"Where are the sites? Where are you going to put the power plants? This information must come from the government, it cannot come from anybody," he said, referring to the data in the WNA report.

"I have asked this question numerous times, and every time the answer is that they haven't made a decision. But it appears that there has been a decision made and it has not been communicated to the public... the prime minister must explain this situation. There must be transparency in this issue," he said.