PROFESSIONAL PROFILE

A dedicated and result-oriented person with experience in leveraging consultative capacity-building strategies that establish relationships across all targeted stakeholders in strengthening the national nuclear regulatory framework. Deep knowledge and experience in developing national and international policy and governance for ensuring regulatory compliance while facilitating the nation’s economic and societal growth.

Actively contributing to creating network and engagement activities with international partners, in particular the IAEA, in preserving national interest and sovereignty, while exploring the opportunity to diversify resources for building national capacities. Strong attention to detail with considerable leadership abilities to exert positive organizational influence that inculcates mutual understanding and respect, leading toward a conducive and pleasant working environment.

EDUCATION

1989 - 1993: Bachelor of Science (Hons) in Nuclear Sciences, National University of Malaysia 2000 - 2001: Masters of Science in Medical Physics, University of Malaya Medical Centre, Malaysia

EMPLOYMENT RECORD

• Department of Atomic Energy: Deputy Director General: 3 June 2025 - present

• Department of Atomic Energy: Director: 1 December 2014 - 2 June 2025

• Department of Atomic Energy: Deputy Director: 1 June 2009 - 30 November 2014

• Department of Atomic Energy: Principal Assistant Director: 1 July 2003 - 31 May 2009

• Department of Atomic Energy: Assistant Director: 18 March 1994 - 30 June 2003

SKILLS

• Regulatory framework and governance

• International relations and technical cooperation

• Review, assessment, and licensing

• Inspection, investigation, and enforcement for nuclear non-compliance and offences

• Capacity building for nuclear security and radiological emergencies

• Nuclear and radiological emergency preparedness and response

• Detection and response to nuclear security events

• Leadership and management

• Human resource development

• Competency management

• Certification of Radiation Protection Officer, Assessor, and Inspector

• Stakeholders’ engagement

• Government planning and budgeting

CAREER SUMMARY

Monalija Kostor is currently the Deputy Director General of the Department of Atomic Energy under the Ministry of Science, Technology, and Innovation (MOSTI), Malaysia. As the Deputy Director General, she is responsible for the planning and implementation of regulatory control on atomic energy activities as required under the Atomic Energy Licensing Act 1984 (Act 304), Strategic Trade Act 2010 (Act 708) and Cyber Security Act 2024 (Act 854), capacity building on safety, security, and safeguards, human resources development, planning, and budgeting. She was formerly the Director of the Division for Radiation Control and Supervision (July 2017 - December 2021, June - July 2025), and was responsible for conducting enforcement activities to ensure the compliance of licensees with Act 304, Act 708, and Act 854. Under this division, she is also given the role of the Head of the National Centre for Nuclear Response Management (NCNRM), the Centre responsible for conducting preparedness and response to nuclear and radiological emergencies and nuclear security events. These roles are as provided under the National Security Council (NSC) Directive No. 4 (Policy and Mechanism of National Land Border Security Management), NSC Directive No. 18 (Policy and Mechanism of Terrorism Crisis Management), and National Disaster Management Agency (NADMA) Directive No. 1 (Policy and Mechanism of National Disaster Management), for the planning and implementation of national capability during such events.

She was the Director of Policy and External Affairs (December 2014 - July 2017, February 2024 - May 2025), and was responsible for the development of laws, regulations, and guidance documents related to atomic energy regulatory control, capacity building on safety, security, and safeguards, and external affairs. She was previously the Director of the Division of Assessment and Licensing (December 2021 - January 2024) and was responsible for managing the assessment and licensing of atomic energy activities as required under Act 304.

PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENT

She regularly received an invitation from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) as a dispatcher expert in providing perspectives from developing states on nuclear safety and security programs. This invitation requires her to attend the program either at IAEA Headquarters in Vienna, Austria, or in other countries, depending on the venue of the program. She also regularly received an invitation from a regional counterpart within ASEAN to provide her expertise.

She is the person responsible for the development of the Nuclear Security Support Centre (NSSC) in Malaysia, with the regional roles that have been recognized by the IAEA on 12 December 2012. Malaysia NSSC is the first in the region and is equipped with an IAEA Loaner Pool on Radiation Detection Equipment (RDE), which is the first IAEA RDE Pool outside of IAEA Headquarters in Vienna. With this recognition, she has been appointed to represent Malaysia as a Member of the IAEA International Network for NSSC (2012 - 2015).

Under her membership, IAEA has appointed her as Vice Chair of Working Groups B (Best Practices), IAEA International Network for NSSC (2014 - 2015), and Chair of Working Groups B (Best Practices), IAEA International Network for NSSC (2015 - 2016). She was previously a member of the IAEA Standing Advisory Group on Safeguards Implementation (SAGSI) (2016 - 2018) with the role of providing advice to the IAEA Director General on the technical aspects of IAEA safeguards.

She was previously also a member of the IAEA Nuclear Security Guidance Committee (NSGC) (2012 - 2017, and 2004 - present) with the role of representing Malaysia to advise the IAEA Deputy Director General on the development of the Nuclear Security Series (NNS). To date, the IAEA has developed 46 NNS as a reference document for member states in implementing nuclear security.

She has written scores of technical and non-technical papers in both scientific and general journals/reports nationally and internationally. She is a co-author for several books and technical guidance documents, including IAEA Nuclear Security Series No. 30-G, Implementing Guide on “Sustaining a Nuclear Security Regime”, 2018. This guidance document is used widely internationally by all the member states of the IAEA. She also represents Malaysia in the committee to revise the IAEA Nuclear Security Series No. 20 on "Objective and Essential Elements of a State's Nuclear Security Regime".

She has been actively involved in the ASEAN Network of Regulatory Bodies on Atomic Energy (ASEANTOM) activities and has been the co-author of the “ASEAN Protocol for Preparedness and Response to a Nuclear or Radiological Emergency”. The Protocol was endorsed by the ASEAN Senior Officials Meeting (SOM) on 30 September 2021. During the Chairmanship of the Department of Atomic Energy in ASEANTOM in conjunction with the Chairmanship of Malaysia in ASEAN in 2025, she presented ASEANTOM regionally and internationally on several occasions that emphasized the important roles of ASEANTOM within the region.

She is actively involved in the Asian Nuclear Safety Network (ANSN) as a Steering Committee member, representing Malaysia (2012 - 2017, 2024 - present) in facilitating knowledge networking and cooperation among professionals and organizations within its Member States, and capacity building to support the initiation of nuclear power programme in ANSN Member States.

She has been appointed as an External Advisor for the Pre-Graduate Study Program
for Nuclear Science at the Faculty of Science and Technology, National University of
Malaysia (1 January 2021 - 31 December 2022) and is responsible for advising the university
on the contents of the program.

She is currently the Chair of the National Committee for Certification of Radiation
Protection Officers (RPO) in Malaysia since 3 June 2025. Previously, she was a Member of
the said National Committee from 1 March 2002 to 31 December 2014 and was
reappointed from 6 December 2021 to 31 January 2024. Under this National Committee,
she is responsible for implementing the process for the Certification of RPO in Malaysia as
required under Act 304. Under her membership, four editions of RPO Guidance Books have
been published as guidance to the RPOs.

She is actively involved in the development of Malaysian Standards and was
appointed as a Member of the National Committee for Central Coordinating Body on
Standard and Technical Regulations in Malaysia (20 April 2009 - present), a Member of the
National Industry Standards Committee on Medical Devices and Facilities for Healthcare
(ISC R) (2005 - present), a Member of National Technical Committee on Diagnostic and
Therapeutic Radiation (2005 - present) and a Member of National Committee for
International Electro-Technical Commission (IEC) (1 January - 31 December 2009).
She is a Member of the Malaysian Radiation Protection Association (MARPA) since
2012. She is committed to contributing to the Association and is registered as a life
member.

She graduated from the National University of Malaysia in 1993 with a Degree of
Bachelor of Science (Hons) in Nuclear Sciences. In 2001, she successfully obtained a Master
of Science in Medical Physics from the University of Malaya Medical Centre (UMMC),
Malaysia. She was a Malaysian Federal Scholar in the pursuit of both those degrees.