Antecedents in Disaster Response, Operations Achievement and Challenges: Malaysian Military Case Study

Abstract

The objective of this paper is to present an overview of the antecedents in disaster response management, operations achievement and challenges in the case of the Malaysian military. Observation and interview were carried out among military personnel involved in the flood operation in Southern Malaysia. During the disaster relief operation, it was found that civil-military relations, assets, medical, media, collaboration and training are critical antecedents in the success of the operations. The successes of civil-military collaboration are seen through the various awards and recognitions received. Nevertheless, challenges in disaster relief operations include joint forces center, coordination meeting, communication and chain of command, Standard Operating Procedure, communication system and clarity of orders and instructions. Therefore, it is pertinent to note that the military is frequently the unseen leading agency that played an important role in disaster relief operations, thus, identifying antecedents in disaster response, and challenges faced can contribute towards managing disaster relief operations.

Keywords: Emergency/disaster response and management, Operations achievement and challenges, Collaboration, Malaysia.