US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Malaysian Foreign Minister Mohamad Hasan signed a memorandum of understanding for nuclear energy collaboration — putting a nuclear future for Malaysia back on the table. Malaysia had previously avoided nuclear power but faces growing electricity demand from manufacturing sector growth and rapidly expanding data centre industry. The US-Malaysia nuclear MOU is part of the broader US nuclear diplomacy push across Southeast Asia under the Trump administration's FIRST Programme. Multiple US SMR developers are expected to engage Malaysia following the MOU.