Mahathir: Renewable energy can grow rampantly like mushrooms in Malaysia.

A few days ago, our newly elected prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir was in Japan attending the 24th International Conference on the Future of Asia, also known as the Nikkei Conference.

There, in front of a packed hall of Japanese and Malaysians living in Japan, one lady from Sarawak, Malaysia asked our prime minister a bold question about the state of renewable energy in Malaysia.

"The renewable energy policy of the previous government was very non-transparent. A lot of Malaysian startups ventured into the industry but permits were not awarded transparently and this only benefited other countries. Will the government review the renewable energy policy to make it more transparent and help the startup community?"

Wow. Just wow.

A question like this during the previous government's era was quite unheard of.

Mahathir answered:

Yes. Malaysia is for renewable energy. We will minimize bureaucratic procedures and reduce delays. In 1981, Kuala Lumpur was flat and there were no high-rise buildings. They told me it was difficult to get city hall to approve the permits. So, I told city hall to approve the permits within 2 weeks or prove to me why they wouldn't approve. As a result, high-rise buildings began to grow like mushrooms in Kuala Lumpur.

See the full video here:

I find these words from our prime minister very encouraging because we need our leader to set clear directions for the country.

It starts with the right intent, followed by the right plans and execution.

It is statements of intent like these that give me hope that the new government will be supportive to grant me a trial of EMPOWER in Malaysia first.

... contrary to the much popular opinion that I should implement in other countries first.

An update on EMPOWER

---

A lot of people has been asking me what is next.

I need to begin developing a prototype that shall prove a few things:

1. Electricity can be tokenized at the point each unit of electricity is created.
2. Electricity can be verified to be from a renewable source and in an automated, trustless manner thanks to the blockchain.
3. People can buy these tokens.
4. The blockchain recognizes the purchase, burns these tokens and distributes the reward tokens accordingly.

I am looking to raise 20,000 STEEM (US$32,000) to achieve these objectives by 30 Sep 2018.

Less than 3 months to create a glimpse of a first-of-its-kind platform for the environment.

If you like this project, you may donate your STEEM, SBD or delegate some SP to @buzz.lightyear. Alternatively, you may send donations via crypto to any of the following addresses:

Donate Bitcoin:
3CbpHWVyZzPE6jpUFRzrEyK7JbJMAZRmVk

Donate BitcoinCash:
qz9u6sl33cw2w5xaus4m79tjvfn75umuusrygxyyk5

Donate Ethereum:
0xf000af383c763185e215a1f38585ff8d5c70fdea

All contributions made to support EMPOWER at this very early stage shall be recorded, remembered and cherished by me personally. For now, I shall be placing all my focus to reward your trust by delivering the timelines and transform EMPOWER from an idea into a tangible existence.


For the pursuit for more renewable energy in the world,

Buzz

Hi, my name is Jason aka @buzz.lightyear. I envision a future where renewable energy is our main source of electricity in this lifetime; reducing the largest contributor of carbon emissions by 90% and bringing our global temperatures back to its natural balance.

I believe that this is no easy task but it is achievable with your support.

I am developing an open blockchain that incentivises both producers and consumers of renewable energy and am looking to collaborate with brilliant minds who share this vision so that we can create a future where it just makes sense to go 100% renewable, visit your local store, buy some latest tech and generate energy for your own use and for others.

Photo Credits:
Mahathir: The Star Online