Records and Disaster....

Dear all...

Malaysia faced major flash flood disaster recently and few states in Peninsular Malaysia were slumped in flood. Everything was in stand still. People were left with nothing. They took shelter in higher land area or hill or survived in whatever means. The flood had cut down access and cut off connection. All were stalled and people are awed at the unprecedented event. It had never happened before to such an amazing and unimaginable scale. 

The aftermath of the biggest massive flood occurrence in Malaysia post an alarming issue on disaster preparedness and disaster recovery program on records and non records items to organization, companies and everyone who are involved directly and indirectly....what say you?

I believe many have lost personal belongings more so with personal records in this horrendous worst flood ever in the affected state. I have no idea the sum of all lost but surely it is huge and very huge lost. A friend of mine, close friend at Pondok Sg Durian somewhere in the district of Kuala Kerai, Kelantan has lost invaluable books and old 'kitab' or scholarly writings and references inherited from his forefathers. Tribute to Dr. Abdul Basit bin Abd Rahman for his lost. What to say about govt offices at districts level and villages level. It just could not be imagined the cost and the loss of memory too.

The Government of Malaysia has estimated around RM20 billion in total loss due to flood. Such huge amount of money!

Most importantly, things had happened though we knew the need for disaster planning and recovery program in relation to records and document prior to the event. Admittedly Malaysians always take lessons learnt in a very had way. It ingrains in the culture of our society, true enough the saying "dah terantuk baru terngadah"....disaster preparedness and disaster recovery program are not in place...I believe we had lost many records already....

Some says that we need to seriously undertake and revisit the existing Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) and develop "what if" analysis based on the worst case scenario. Hazard Effect Management Plan (HEMP) need to be developed and gauge the potential lost and analyse the cost cycle to execute and maintain the disaster planning program.

True enough, some of us cannot highlight the potential lost to the highest management and we cannot blame the management since we are not able to convince them. Maybe to help us we can read this book http://www.hubbardresearch.com/.../how-to-measure.../

Mr Khairul Nizam, one of my colleague said that "Malaysian National Archives had written a guideline on Disaster Management Plan for Records (PTB) and they have a disaster response team for this kind of crisis. You can find the PTB at their website. Shaluf and Ahmadun had already highlighted that natural disaster involving rain is the number one disaster in Malaysia, be it flood or landslide. Roof leaks can also cause disaster to records. I've been researching disaster management on records in Malaysia since 2010 and throughout this journey,i've encountered lots of alarming scenario regarding disaster management on records in Malaysia. Having a records disaster plan is one thing, we need to know the comprehensiveness of our disaster plan, action taken when disaster strikes is another issue, preventive measure before disaster occured is another thing, the question is how do you know whether you are ready to face disaster, I've written an article about disaster management for records in organization and it was presented by Kamarul Azwan Azman last year. Just remember one thing, every year we will be facing the flood situation, just the scale is different this time. Having a good disaster plan, prevention and recovery management may not be enough to save everything but at least we can minimze the damage. By not having anything may lead to total crisis."

In order to convince the management in getting additional budget for disaster management is to present them with list of cases involving disaster on records. Not only flood, but theft as well. Academic books had listed potential threats for records. Risk asseassessment must be accompanied by disaster plan. You can't cover everything so list down the risk,impact and probability.