The civil service pension scheme (CSPS) in Malaysia is a defined benefit (DB), non-contributory system directly funded from the budget. An aging population, rising life expectancy, and ballooning pension payments underscore the need for reform. An annual pension deficit model was used to estimate the pension deficit over a period of 75 years under eight scenarios that compare the current scheme with changes in the pension deficit when three policy variables—retirement age, contribution rate, and replacement rate—are manipulated. We found the current scheme will not be financially sustainable. By increasing the retirement age, introducing employee contributions, and reducing the replacement rate, it is possible to delay the emergence of deficits and lengthen the period of sustainability of the scheme. However, a radical makeover is necessary to be fully sustainable and this might not be politically feasible.

4Social capital is linked to academic performance and education satisfaction, and also forms the foundation of students9 future business networks. It is postulated that social capital development amongst college and university students is influenced by education delivery modes in the form of online and classroom education. The Covid-19 pandemic that started in March 2020 and subsequent prolonged periods of physical lockdowns in many countries has forced colleges and universities that customarily practice classroom education to shift to online education temporarily. This situation has created a