Human health unaffected by radio frequency emission, assembly told

KUCHING: There is no evidence to indicate that exposure to radio frequency (RF) emission from telecommunications structures causes adverse health effects, the Sarawak State Legislative Assembly was told today.
Assistant Minister for Rural Electricity Dr Abdul Rahman Junaidi said the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission controlled the construction and operation of mobile phone base stations.
The MCMC also regulated the frequency, transmitting power and RF emission of the mobile phone base stations, he said in a reply to Violet Yong Wui Wui (DAP-Pending) during question time.
Abdul Rahman said non-compliance to the mandatory standards defined by the MCMC would result in a fine of up to RM200,000 for the operator, hence ensuring that public safety remained a top priority at all times.
He said the Malaysia Nuclear Agency (MNA) had conducted radiation assessment audits to assess the rate of radiation emitted by the transmitters affixed onto the telecommunication structures at nine sites in densely populated areas.
"The test results showed that the RF radiation measured at all the sites were well below the exposure limits and complies with the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) and MCMC's mandatory standards for members of the public.
He said that based on these findings, the MNA found that the RF radiation from the antennas of the telecommunication structures with the present loads and the background radiation would not lead to any significant radiation exposure to people in the areas.
"The percentage of exposure is only 0.01% to 0.26%, which is classified as harmless to the health of human beings," he added. — Bernama