Tangled Bank posted a photo:

The history of American railroading in an old magazine from 1949. And some advertisements.

Tangled Bank posted a photo:

The history of American railroading in an old magazine from 1949. And a few advertisements.

Tangled Bank posted a photo:

The history of American railroading in an old magazine from 1949. And a few advertisements.

APRIL 29 — Let’s talk about the most powerful tool you’ve never seen: the national budget. In most developing economies, it’s often treated as a state secret, a technical document debated behind closed doors. But a groundbreaking new synthesis of global research, led by Sazzad Islam, reveals a seismic shift in opinion. The study, “A Systematic Review of Public Budgeting Strategies in Developing Economies,” isn’t just academic. It’s a blueprint for a revolution in governance, proving that how money is planned and spent is the ultimate test of a government’s integrity and effectiveness. Are we there yet?

For decades, the story has been grim. Opaque budgeting fuels a vicious cycle: corruption siphons funds, misaligned spending widens inequality, and public trust evaporates. Citizens see crumbling schools and ghost hospitals while officials drive luxury cars. This isn’t just inefficiency; it’s a direct attack on development and democracy. But Islam’s review uncovers a potent antidote spreading across the Global South: strategic transparency. This isn't about just dumping complex PDFs online. It's about a fundamental redesign of the budgeting process with two powerful engines.

First, participatory budgeting. The research shows that when citizens are given real seats at the table — through town halls, citizen assemblies, and digital platforms — magic happens. Spending priorities shift from political vanity projects to tangible community needs: clean water, rural clinics, feeder roads. Porto Alegre, Brazil, pioneered this, but the model is now taking root from Kenya to Indonesia. It transforms the budget from an imposition into a social contract, building legitimacy and reducing conflict. We have to start looking at this.

Second, performance-based budgeting. This strategy moves beyond simply accounting for where money went to demanding proof of what it achieved. Instead of funding a “health department,” you fund “reduce maternal mortality by X per cent.” This data-driven approach, supported by independent audit bodies, creates an unbreakable chain of accountability. It empowers reformers within government to cut waste and rewards effective programs, making every dollar a measured investment in the public good.

The Ministry of Finance in Putrajaya. The author argues that transparent, participatory, and performance-based budgeting is essential for improving governance, reducing corruption, and strengthening public trust, and that Malaysia must reform its budget process to ensure accountability and equitable development. — Picture by Raymond Manuel

The findings are clear: these tools are not Western impositions. They are homegrown, context-sensitive solutions that share a common thread — they shine a light. Transparency disarms corrupt networks. Participation builds civic muscle. Performance data arms citizens with facts. 

Yet the greatest barrier isn’t technical; it’s political. These strategies redistribute power from closed, vested interests to the public. Their adoption requires courageous leadership and sustained pressure from civil society and media. International partners must move beyond demanding austerity to actively funding and championing these governance innovations.

The message from this comprehensive review is urgent and optimistic. The path to stability and equitable growth in developing economies doesn’t start with a new loan or a resource discovery. It starts with a ledger. By fighting for a budget that is open, inclusive, and results-focused, we aren’t just tweaking fiscal policy. 

We are building nations where governments are truly accountable to the people they serve. The budget, it turns out, is the most important political document in the world. It’s time we all started reading it. It is time for all countries to take heed of the analysis generated by the review.

Many call for Malaysia to also reform the budget process if we are to truly achieve sustainability and equitable growth. On the way forward, first, Malaysia must institute real parliamentary reform. This means a powerful, bi-partisan Public Accounts Committee (PAC), specialised budget committees, and sufficient time and resources for MPs to scrutinise estimates. The budget must be pulled apart in daylight. 

Second, we need a transparent and participatory pre-budget process. Public consultations, green and white papers, and independent impact assessments should be mandated, moving the process from the closed doors of the Treasury and political warlords into the public domain. 

Third, and most crucially, the country must begin a painful but necessary conversation about moving from a patronage-based to a needs-based and performance-based allocation system. This does not mean abandoning affirmative action, but rather subjecting it to the same tests of effectiveness, efficiency, and equity that any major public expenditure should face.

* Professor Datuk Ahmad Ibrahim is affiliated with the Tan Sri Omar Centre for STI Policy Studies at UCSI University and is an Adjunct Professor at the Ungku Aziz Centre for Development Studies, Universiti Malaya. He can be reached at ahmadibrahim@ucsiuniversity.edu.my 

** This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of Malay Mail.

Tangled Bank posted a photo:

The history of model railroading in an old magazine from the mid-1960s in America.

APRIL 28 — Destructions to homes, infrastructures, livelihood and lives have put climate action at the centre of discussions, planning and investments.

Pledges to reach net-zero

Carbon dioxide emissions have been increasing since the 1700s and escalated significantly since the 1970s resulting in climate change severe climate related events including global warming and severe and frequent floods.

Recognising the severity of climate change escalating into climate crisis and climate catastrophe, nations, government and businesses have pledge to reach net-zero, with majority targeting to reduce carbon emissions to net zero by 2050, some a little earlier and others a little later, striving to achieve the Paris Agreement target of preventing temperature rise to 1.5 degrees C and worst case 2.0°C by 2050.

The IPCC of the UNFCC Reports and Meetings at Conference of Parties (COP) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change which was first organised in 1995 (COP1), had since its first session (COP1) in 1995 and till subsequent IPCC Reports and COPs decades later, focussed solely on Renewable Energies role in climate change.

Nuclear power was previously not included in the conversation on climate change until IPCC AR4, subsequent Special Reports in 2018 and IPCC Sixth Assessment Report ( of Working Group III in 2022) and COP28 held in Dubai, UAE.

The author argues that nuclear power must be urgently integrated into Malaysia’s energy strategy to meet rising electricity demand and achieve net-zero targets, as global evidence shows it is a critical low-carbon solution alongside renewables. — Reuters pic

IPCC Sixth Assessment Report, International Energy Agency’s (IEA’s) World Energy Outlook and COP28 in UAE had ushered in a critical turning point for nuclear power 

IPCC Assessment Reports

i) IPCC Fourth Assessment Report (AR4) released in 2007

A sea change in climate discussions and planning was reflected in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s Report by its Working Group III which had acknowledged the role of nuclear energy as a ‘key mitigation technology’, but said that safety, weapons proliferation and waste remain as constraints.

World Nuclear Association reported in May 2007 that the report concludes that there are mitigation options available that could be used to stabilise atmospheric greenhouse gas emissions. Stabilisation between 445 and 710 parts per million of CO2-eq would, the IPCC projects, result in a change in global gross domestic product ranging between a 3 per cent decrease and a small increase. 

The report notes that to achieve the lower stabilisation levels will require greater emphasis on low carbon energy sources “such as renewable energy and nuclear power.”

ii) IPCC Special Report on Climate Change released in 2018, outlining Nuclear Power’s Role in Climate Change

The World Nuclear Association (WNA) reported in 8 October 2018 that the IPCC has released a special report on the impacts of climate change. The Report concludes that achieving the 1.5°C goal will require global greenhouse gas emissions to start reducing almost immediately. This will require a faster switch to electricity for energy end use and for that greater electricity demand to be met by low-carbon generation, including nuclear. Nuclear generation increases, on average by around 2.5 times by 2050 in the 89 mitigation scenarios considered by the IPCC.

Achieving a rapid decarbonisation of the electricity sector will require, at first, deploying proven technology. The report recognises that the projected increase in nuclear generation can be realised through existing mature nuclear technology or through new options such as generation III/IV reactors and SMRs. Generation III reactors have already come into operation in several countries.

The report notes that, historically, ‘scalability and speed of scaling of nuclear plants have been high in many nations’, noting that France implemented a programme to rapidly get 80 per cent of its (electrical) power from nuclear. The report also notes that ‘comparative risk assessment shows health risks are low per unit of electricity production’ and land requirement is ‘lower than that of other power sources.’

The report states that nuclear economics have been improved in countries where the electricity system allows for reduced investment risks, the realisation of benefits from series build or through stable relations between regulators and industry. However, in some other countries market conditions have increased investment risks of high-capital expenditure technologies, such as nuclear. The report also notes that the current deployment pace of nuclear energy is constrained by ‘social acceptability’ in some countries.

iii) IPCC Sixth Assessment Report (AR6) released in 2001-2023

The IPCC had highlighted that during the sixth assessment cycle (October 2015 to July 2023) the IPCC produced the Sixth Assessment Report (AR6) with contributions by its three Working Groups and a Synthesis Report, three Special Reports, and a refinement to its latest Methodology Report, with the Working Group I of IPCC AR6 contribution released on August 9, 2021, the Working Group II and III contributions released on February 28 and April 4, 2022 respectively and the Synthesis Report released on March 20, 2023.

The IPCC Working Group III contribution, Climate Change 2022: Mitigation of Climate Change released on April 4, 2022 had advocated for a “broad-based approach to deploying energy sector mitigation options can reduce emissions over the next ten years and set the stage for still deeper reductions beyond 2030 and had also identified that “when switching to low-carbon energy sources — renewable sources, nuclear power, and fossil or bioenergy with CCS — electricity is expected to become a more pervasive energy carrier.”

In summary, the IPCC has identified nuclear power, in addition to renewable sources and fossil or bioenergy with CCS as key low carbon energy sources necessary to reduce carbon emission.

Conference of Parties (COP) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)

COP28 in Dubai, UAE in 2023 had ushered in a critical turning point for the nuclear industry as leaders from 25 countries had signed a pledge to triple nuclear capacity from nearly 400 GW to 1200 GW by 2025.

COP 29 in Baku Azaerbaijan and COP30 in Brazil had witness more countries signing this pledge; to tripling nuclear power by 2050; with six additional countries — El Salvador, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kosovo, Nigeria, and Turkey — signed the declaration to triple global nuclear energy capacity by 2050 at COP29 which had brought the total number of signatories to 31 and with two additional countries Rwanda and Senegal as new signatories at COP30 which had brought the total number of signatories to 33.

And most recently at the second Nuclear Energy Summit in Paris, on March 10, 2026, China formally joined the international pledge to triple global nuclear energy capacity by 2050 bringing the total number of signatories to this pledge to 34.

With these global recognition by the IPCC, COP as well as Governments worldwide, thus it is testimony to the increasing important role of nuclear power in climate change mitigation.

Malaysia’s plans for Racing to Net Zero and its National Energy Transition Roadmap (NETR)

Recognising the paramount important of reaching net zero, the Government had introduced roadmaps and institutional changes to guide Malaysia’s transition to a clean energy system and a sustainable economy.

National Energy Transition Roadmap (NETR)

NETR developed by the Ministry of Economy was launched in 2023, with Phase 1 unveiled on July 27, 2023, and Phase 2 announced on August 29, 2023 and had identified six key energy transition levers to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050: Energy Efficiency (EE), Renewable Energy (RE), Hydrogen, Bioenergy, Green Mobility, and Carbon Capture, Utilisation, and Storage (CCUS).

Ministry of Energy Transition and Water Transformation (Petra)

Upon its creation on December 12, 2023, the Ministry of Energy Transition and Public Utilities was formed by a split from the previous Ministry of Natural Resources, Energy and Climate Change (NRECC) and On February 8, 2024, the ministry was renamed the Ministry of Energy Transition and Water Transformation (Petra).

Malaysia a hotspot for Data Centres

The Digital Gold rush spurred by the AI Revolution has resulted in the massive investments in/by Data Centres, in particular in specific locations of Johor and Kuala Lumpur Data Centre Asia had highlighted that as of 2025, Malaysia hosts a total of 125 operational data centres, according to Baxtel, distributed across various regions, with the majority located in Kuala Lumpur and Johor. Kuala Lumpur leads with 65 data centres, while Johor follows with 47.

Additionally, there are 18 data centres under construction in Kuala Lumpur and 15 in Johor, indicating ongoing growth in the sector.

Data Centres impacting energy demand and carbon emissions

The International Energy Agency (IEA) had reported that the rise of AI is accelerating the deployment of high-performance accelerated servers, leading to greater power density in data centres, and in 2024 electricity consumption from data centres is estimated to amount to around 415 terawatt hours (TWh), or about 1.5 per cent of global electricity consumption.

Precedence Research had spotlighted that the electricity consumption of data centres is set to grow rapidly, with a projected 945 TWh demand by 2030, contributing to 3 per cent of global electricity usage.

Additionally, IEA reported that data centres and data transmission networks are responsible for 1 per cent of energy-related GHG emissions.

The world cannot reach net-zero in time without nuclear power

At the Inaugural Nuclear Energy Summit 2023 in Brussels, Dr Birol Executive Director of the International Energy Agency (IEA) had remarked “The world cannot reach net zero in time without nuclear power”.

Additionally at the Singapore International Energy Week 2025 (2025) Dr Fatih had highlighted that nuclear power is undergoing a strong global comeback, driven by energy security concerns and rising demand from AI and electric vehicles.

Ms Sheriffah had the honour to meet His Excellency Dr Fatih Birol at Singapore International Energy Week 2025 (SIEW 2025).

And at the International Conference on the Role of Nuclear Power in Climate Change, Dr Fatih had shared the prescription for Success for nuclear to effective contribute to net zero:

i) Continue Building Large proven reactors

ii) Extend the lifetime of present operating reactors

iii) Embrace in innovation such as Small Modular Reactors

Recommendations for Malaysia

In Malaysia’s quest to rise the wave of the AI revolution and supporting massive investments and new builds of data centres, the Government must be, and I am confident are already cognisant, of the fact that this will result in escalation in energy demand and increase in carbon emission which will impact and affect the nation’s energy transition pathways as well as climate and sustainable goals and target.

Thus, to ensure Malaysia races to net zero in time, I would like to offer the following recommendations to the Government:

1. Malaysia to shift from exploring and discussing about nuclear power to firmly deciding on diversifying the nation’s energy mix, investing first in large proven reactors to close the energy gap

2. NETR although initially developed by Ministry of Economy under previous Minister YB Rafizi Ramli must now be transferred to the Ministry of Energy Transition and Water Transformation (Petra) in view of this new Ministry’s role and mandate on Energy Transition

3. Malaysia to include Nuclear Power in Revised Updated NETR after Government makes a decision to Go Nuclear and further diversifying energy mix

4. After SMRs have proven to be cost effective and can be successfully built without issues, then Malaysia to decide on the choice of SMRS available, Russia’s Floating Nuclear Power Plant (FNPP) by Rosatom, China’s 125MWe Linglong One ACP-100 by China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC), set to be the world’s first commercial on-shore SMR and expected to be commercialised by first half of 2026 or the western world’s 300MWe BWRX-300 developed by GE Vernova Hitachi especially to power Data centres which require smaller capacities. Larger nuclear power reactors would be suitable to power hyperscalers.

5. However a simultaneous extensive and effective public awareness and stakeholder Engagement programme must be initiated and conducted to assure public the justification and motivations for Malaysia investing in nuclear power and to ally their fears sharing safety mechanisms put in place to ensure safe operations of both large and small nuclear power reactors to diversity Malaysia’s energy mix for the benefit of the rakyat.

* Sheriffah Noor Khamseah Al-Idid Dato Syed Ahmad Idid is Consultant Nuclear Power, Venture Capital and Innovation.

** This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of Malay Mail.

APRIL 28 — The case of Nizar v Zambry decided by the Federal Court in 2010 is the lex classicus, as legal experts would term it, on the issue of confidence of the majority of members of a legislative assembly.

In that case, the Federal Court held that the loss of confidence in the Menteri Besar (MB) may not only be established through a vote in the state legislative assembly (SLA) but may also be gathered from other extraneous sources provided they are properly established. Such sources include representations made by members of the Perak SLA that the MB no longer enjoys the support of the majority of the members of the SLA.

In that case, there was a demonstration of support by 31 members of the SLA for Barisan Nasional (BN). This clearly pointed to the loss of confidence of the majority of the members of the SLA in the leadership of the incumbent MB, even without a vote in the SLA.

The Federal Court also held that it was incumbent upon the MB in the circumstances of the case to tender the resignation of the executive council. The term “executive council” by definition includes the MB. If the MB refuses to tender the resignation of the executive council, the MB and the executive council members are deemed to have vacated their respective offices.

Negeri Sembilan Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Aminuddin Harun speaks during a press conference at his official residence in Seremban April 27, 2026. — Picture by Raymond Manuel

So, even if the MB is not removed by the Ruler, it matters not since the MB would be deemed to have vacated his office.

What must follow is for a member of the SLA to seek an audience with the Ruler to present to His Majesty that he has the confidence of the majority of members of the SLA. In the case of the Negeri Sembilan SLA, the number is 19.

The 14 members of Negeri Sembilan Umno and Barisan Nasional have already declared yesterday that they have obtained a simple majority to form the state government through cooperation with five Perikatan Nasional members of the SLA.

The irony is the audience is with the Ruler who is sought to be deposed or removed in accordance with the Laws of the Constitution of Negeri Sembilan 1959.

* This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of Malay Mail.

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APRIL 26 — Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) recently has taken on a noticeably different operational profile. Vehicular movement across campus has reduced, several academic blocks remain unoccupied for extended periods, and daily activity appears more concentrated within selected zones. While this may suggest a temporary slowdown, the underlying reality is a deliberate restructuring of how the university functions in response to external pressures.

These adjustments are closely linked to the ongoing global energy situation, which has introduced new constraints on institutional operations. Rising utility costs and broader concerns on energy sustainability have required universities to reassess not only how much energy is used, but where and when it is consumed. At UTM, this has translated into measures such as additional work-from-home (WFH) implementation and the consolidation of physical activities within centralised facilities, including the Sultanah Zanariah Library (PSZ).

From an engineering standpoint, the approach is consistent with basic principles of system optimisation. By reducing the number of active buildings, the university is effectively lowering its overall energy load. Large-scale systems such as heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC), which typically account for a significant portion of campus energy consumption, can be selectively deactivated in unoccupied zones. Lighting systems, laboratory equipment, and auxiliary services follow the same logic. The cumulative effect is a measurable reduction in energy usage without a complete shutdown of academic functions.

Deserted UTM parking lots. — Picture by the author

This direction is also in line with UTM’s broader strategic framework under ASCEND2030, which emphasises smart, resilient, and sustainable campus management. The current adjustments, while driven by immediate constraints, reflect longer-term priorities in how the university approaches resource optimisation and operational efficiency.

However, this form of optimisation introduces a different set of constraints, particularly in disciplines where physical processes remain central to both teaching and research.

Within civil engineering, many laboratory-based activities are governed by material behaviour and time-dependent processes. In concrete technology, for example, the sequence from batching and mixing to curing and eventual testing follows a strict timeline influenced by hydration kinetics and environmental conditions. The removal of formwork, or de-moulding, must be carried out within a defined window to ensure structural integrity and data reliability. Any deviation, whether due to restricted access to facilities or limited operating hours, may compromise the experimental outcome.

As a result, academic staff and postgraduate researchers are now required to engage in more detailed planning of laboratory work. Experimental schedules must be aligned with access windows, and contingencies need to be considered more carefully than before. In practical terms, this has led to a more deliberate use of laboratory time, where each session is structured to maximise data collection while minimising idle operation of equipment.

UTM roads are empty too. — Picture by the author

This shift can be understood as a form of constraint-driven optimisation. While the available resources and access time have been reduced, the efficiency of utilisation has, in many cases, improved. Researchers are encouraged to refine their experimental design, reduce redundancy, and prioritise critical measurements. In doing so, the limitations imposed by the current situation are gradually being translated into a more disciplined approach to engineering practice.

A similar pattern can be observed in student learning behaviour. With access to facilities being more concentrated, spaces such as PSZ have become focal points for academic activity. Rather than dispersing across multiple locations, students are now working within shared environments that support both independent study and informal collaboration. While this differs from the traditional use of campus space, it continues to provide the necessary infrastructure for learning to take place.

At a broader level, the adjustments implemented at UTM reflect a shift towards operational resilience. In engineering terms, resilience is not defined by the absence of disturbance, but by the ability of a system to maintain its function under changing conditions. The current measures demonstrate that, even with reduced physical utilisation of campus infrastructure, the core functions of teaching, learning, and research can be sustained through appropriate reconfiguration.

It is also worth noting that these changes are not purely reactive. They align with longer-term considerations on sustainability and resource management within higher education. The ability to monitor, regulate, and optimise energy usage is increasingly becoming an integral part of campus planning. In this context, the present situation may be seen as an accelerated transition towards more efficient operational models.

In conclusion, while the campus environment may appear quieter than usual, the underlying academic and research activities remain active. The difference lies in how these activities are organised and executed. Through a combination of system-level adjustments and individual adaptation, UTM continues to operate within a more constrained, yet more deliberately managed, framework.

The work, in essence, has not diminished. It has simply been recalibrated.

* Mohd Hilmy Naim Mohd Yakin is a Senior Lecturer at the Department of Structure & Materials, Faculty of Civil Engineering, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, and may be reached at mohdhilmynaim@utm.my 

** This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of Malay Mail.

Eudaemonius posted a photo:

Eudaemonius posted a photo:

Eudaemonius posted a photo: