kolokuim paper sarawak

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GOOD PUBLIC GOVERNANCE AND RECORDS MANAGEMENT:

An Overview Of Current Scenario In Malaysia.

Fakhurrazi Ibnu Omar

Al Bakri Mohamad

Muhammad Azhan Abdul Aziz

Faculty of Information ManagementSarawak Campus

Colloquim 24-26 September 2005UiTM Sarawak, Kuching.

Abstract

Records management deals with any official transaction and business processes that take

place within public office. Naturally records will undergo phases of organism lifecycle tohave attachment to content, context and structure of event they represent. Public office in

the dominator side that creates all those abundant records, prone to become issue of

public mistrust perception. Good records management then needed to reform part of its

management in objective of imposing good governance and preserve the right of thecitizens. The objective is to signify certain face lift in improving public good governance

in having good records keeping, evidence based decision, transparency, quality assuranceand accountability.

Keywords: records management, good governance, record keeping, evidence based

decision, transparency, quality records .

Introduction

Government organization lately come under spotlight of blatant use of power,

malpractice, corruption and so forth allegation. Is it all true or just kind of animated casethat being added some drama element along the way? Government organization variousgovernment ministries, department, statutory bodies (FELDA,RISDA), the Armed

Forces, universities and of-budget agencies. These organizations are funded by tax

ringgit, paid by citizen, the public. Therefore they come under close scrutiny from publicand interest group. They not measured by bottom line like private sector organization1.

Dato Seri Abdullah in its resolution to bring new image of fast decision making,

introduce the good public governance that among other thing stressed on accountability,

reforms and service to the public. Public use to hear about corporate governance, a stringattached to audit, control and identify the right and responsibilities, legitimize action and

determines accountability. It a philosophy concern with derivation, use and limitation of

power.

As a public funded organization, government and its agencies are subject to audit, query

and complaint from public. Differ from private sector in term of defined bottom line,government bound to the social responsibility and oath of civil service. A government

agenda to adopt good corporate governance in its administration - bring about some fear

1 Management in Malaysia: base text in general management with local reference to managing a

Malaysian business. Institut Pengurusan Malaysia, 1999:44

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of incapability to transforming the rooted practice. Prime Minister act as CEO to the

Malaysian Inc, and its subordinate must have the same thinking. Rather a concept than a

practice, but its a good work worth to be done. Under the Dasar Persyarikatan Malaysiaor Malaysia Incorporated Policies, there must be a good cooperation between public and

private sector. To achieve it, public perception towards the way civil service work and

execute must be turned. Public sector especially financial institution already submitted tocomply to corporate governance and adequacy audit, they then demand the same practice

happen in its public counterpart.

People as well relate it to the power shifting from former premier, Tun Mahathir

Mohamad to Dato Seri Abdullah Badawi is somehow divulging a hereditary disease.

Comes under fire is the Government Link Company which rely much of its business from

government tender. Tender confidential information leakage, outside lobbying are amongother issue bring forward to the GLCs and contractor business politicking. The premier

successor then under the banner of national integrity plan, order a comprehensive post

mortem includes surprise visit to public department. This action gives some improvement

in public sector especially for proper documentation, public service and public servantattendance, small step for a giant leap.

Approved Permit either franchise or open recently is heated argument between Ministry

of International and Trade Industry. Willful action taken by the Prime Minister to made

public the who who list or AP recipient add some color to government stern policy of

eroding malpractice, corruption and the vice.

Act on above circumstances, it is about times to re-highlight various component that

academician, policy makers and enforcement people can act, review and contributebefore its too late. This opinion paper focus on providing insight into how a good and

sound records management do its part and partial role in fighting corruption, misuse of

power, unaccountability and restore rest assured quality, transparency of a good publicgovernance.

Records management acts as output or product of every official transaction. Giveevidence of an activity- any action or set of action undertaken by an individual, a group

of individual or a corporate body, or by employees or agents acting on its behalf, and

resulting in a definable outcome.2

2 Elizabeth. Shepherd, Yeo, Geoffrey. Managing records: a handbook of principle and practice.

Facet : London, 2004,p-2.

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Good governance requirement.

Good records keeping.

Role of recordkeeping in relation to accountability amongst are: facilitating good

governance that underpinning accountability mechanisms, constituting corporate,national and societal memory, constructing individual, community and national identity,

providing authoritative sources of information3.

These listed functions should be given top priority. Personal visit and informal

observation to various federal public agencies in Malaysia, post specifically designed tomanage records is varied, or vague. Chief clerk, secret room clerk ( kerani bilik sulit),

administration executive officer, file clerk are amongst post that responsible in

maintaining record keeping. The policy is clear, but the enforcement is lack ofconsistency, it due to the size of organization, level of operation significance and post

warrant unavailability to recognize the post. Task of monitoring records management in

most public agencies assigned as additional task (tugas-tugas tambahan) to anyexperienced officer.

IRMT/World BankEvidence-based Governance in Electronic Age in its summary for

Global Forum Electronic DiscussionsPublic Sector Reform and Record Keepingagreed

that there is importance of having quality record keeping for all aspectsof public sector reform, the institutional capacity needs to bestrengthened overall, and top-level support is required.Result from the forum, collective participants had identified fivedistinct issues that are:

the need to link accountability and efficiency with quality record

keeping; the need to protect critical government records;

the importance of ensuring a smooth transition to electronic

technologies and protecting paper and electronic records in theprocess;

the need to manage human resources records so that the

objectives of civil service reform are well met throughoutgovernment; and

the importance of ensuring sufficient institutional capacity for

quality record keeping to achieve the long-term goals ofimproved accountability and efficiency in government.4

3 Sue McKemmish. The Smoking Gun: Record Keeping and Accountability. Records Continuum

Research Group, PTAR Library 12 August 20054 International Records Management Trust .Evidence Based Governance in Electronic Age. 12

September 2005.

http://www.irmt.org/evidence/

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Evidence based decision.

Causes of bureaucratic corruption are; low morale standard of individual bureaucrat, bythe deficiencies of the administrative system, and by the pressure and constraint which

society imposes on official5. Deficiencies in the various component in public control

mechanism, named it in area like administrative, financial, or human. Due to thesecontrol- guidelines, documentation, and paperworks established to serve as legit

mechanism in decision and action of officials. Records will be show either they comply

or not in course of their action, if yes those records suppose to be well managed as

evidence.International Records Management Trust Projects Evidence Based Governance in

Electronic Age focus on studying the loss of control of records and information systems,

particularly in electronic environments. Accurate official records should provide the basis

for poverty reduction, the rule of law, economic development, and accountabilityframeworks6.

Records management programmed initiation in any organization should be inspired bysocial corporate responsibility amongst other thing. Academician and thinkers in records

management field must work hand-to-hand in with public official, enforcement,

administration, and policy maker to materialize it. Paul H. Appleby (1949) noted in his

lecture and works that tendency of many academician and practitioners to view policy

and administration as separate activities and not see administration as having little or no policy-making role; this should be immediately demolished. It ia among the de facto

reason why marketing of records management concepts in higher level accepted in partialonly.

Public agencies are required to comply with circular and directives from its centralagencies such as Prime Minister department, Treasury, Public Service Department

regarding the their records keeping keep sake, for example Surat Pekeliling

Perbendaharaan Bil.9 1986 clearly outlined that financial account book and recordsshould be in good records keeping, disposal must be prior to Federal/State Accountant

consent. This to ensure that all financial records audited first, and there is no reason for

malevolent disposal.

Every act of the public employee is a seamless web of discretion

and action

Luther Gulick.7

Statistic provided by Anti Corruption Agency http://www.bpr.gov.my/for year 2004 alone

recorded 982 case under investigation, 50 convicted and 718 reports received8.

5 Phangpariat and Piriyarangsar. Compliance and democracy in Thailand. Chiang May, Silkhew

Books, 1996; 179.6Op. cit; International Records Management Trust.7Luther Gulick.Politic, Administration and the New Deal. 1933;p 5618 Corruption report 2004. Anti Corruption Agency. 16 August 2005. http://www.bpr.gov.my/

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Malaysias 39th most corrupted Corruption Perception Index (CPI) by Transparency

International http://www.transparency.org/ 2004 from 146 nation9. Corruption index

pools evidence that private sector records for 13.3 percent, politician 11.1 percent, non-government organization 7.4 percent and public sector 6.5 percent. This statistic

revealing a reality of our own country terrible disease. Despite the public perception of

politician and public sector corruption, evidence show on the other part is more likelyworst case.

Records and transparency:

Certain procedure, recorded has significance effect on public, in what condition should it

make public, should free access of information overruled the Official Secret Act, howlong then OSA embedded into records until it make public. Freedom to Information is

concern with public access into public records, to facilitate a need to know basis of how

government decision and policy affect their lives.

The earliest legislation governing open records dates back in year of 1776 in Sweden thatoutlines key point on FOI law that are; legal right on citizens that can be enforced, seek to

change the culture of secrecy within the civil service, provide access to records not justinformation and define right of appeal10. Information released by public authorities

should be in accord with what means by transparency requirement without alteration and

derived meaning. Thats why access to records required despite the availability of

information request normally by public.Records transpire a transparency practice in much organization, as a formal requirement

of auditing both internal and external. All necessary evidential records must be there,

common excuse such as misplaced, missing in action considered as invalid since athorough in and out or records procedure already establish.

Administration live outside the proper sphere of politics. Administration question are not

political question. Although politics sets the task for administration, it should not besuffered to manipulate its office

9 Corruption perception index. Transparency International. 16 August 2005.

http://www.transparency.org/.

10 The right to information, information, public awareness and public records. TI Source Book

2000. Transparency International, 2000, 235-246.

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Records and quality assurance

International Standard Organization (ISO) quality management requirementdocumentation directly addressed records management as one of it overall accreditation

element. field of management responsible for the efficient and systematic control of

creation m receipt, maintenance, use and disposition of records.11

Quality assurance stress on continuous improvement in organization, and its can be

materialized in proper documentation.

Figure 1:Ascending quality improvement

Sources: Koch, 1990.

Quality accreditation process scrutinized every working document and paperwork to find

any compliance and non-compliance. Records management born genetically with every

action taken where they are among output of process.

Referring to above figure- interpreted in every quality improvement activity take place,

records will provide solid evidence on how effectively every element within institutionplan, do, check and actaccordingly. If there is any auditing process occur, officials will

scrutinized every minor and major detail of either its aplan that flaw, or fail; ordo ordoer failure; or is there any remedial action orchecktake place, or is the actor execution

that lead to non-compliance.

People usually kept their mouth shut, or create some reasonable excuse to it, butrememberrecords talk here, unless there is none. Officials in course of duty will probably

able to defend themselves with make-up records but there could be any loose joints in

either its content, context and structure.

Records and accountability.

11 International Standards Organization. ISO 15489-1:2001Information and documentation-

records management-Part 1: general.

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Plan Do

Act Check

Standard setting

E

X

CE

L

L

E

NC

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Cultural use

Records management principles suggest that its evidence to every act and decision takenwithin organization. Scene investigation regarding any criminal breach of trust (CBT)

suggests that inspection normally will be conducted to any existing document(s). And its

always include into power jurisdiction of any bureau, agency that investigate the case, forexample Singapores ICACs power to hold and examine business and private document,

empower them to enforce law towards classified document. A prudent records

management policy will surely vest officials and public institution with full responsibilityto its action and decision. There is a proof to tail them.

As noted by Woodrow Wilson in 1887 that there is the view that public administration ismade distinctive by its relationship to the governmental process and that this relationship

required that special ateliers be part to such normative concerns as justice, freedom and

responsibility.

Figure 2: Reason for keeping records

Source Elizabeth Shepherd., Geoffrey Yeo (2003)

Good records management orderly defend institution, organization and party from falling

into condition where they either unable to provide evident of policy and procedurescompatibility, defend against liability claims, prove its rights and protect assets

Some may argue that with too much public release of government records may impede

the officials operative nature, thus later slowing down the decision and action taken.

A few good question highlighted in Transparency International Source Book 2000 inregards with public sector records are:

Are there clear administrative instructions on the maintenance of public records?If so, are these generally observed; and

What policies exist concerning the provision of information to the public?

Governance Objective Key Records Required

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Support for internal and externalaccountability

Business use


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rule of law legislative records

court records

police records

prisons records

accountability accounting records

procurement records

tax recordscustoms records

electoral registers

policy files

case files

management of state resources budget paperspolicy files

accounting records

personnel records

payroll records

procurement records

fixed assets registers

property registers

protection of entitlements pension recordssocial security records

land registration records

birth/death records

services for citizens hospital records

school records

foreign relations and international obligations treaties

correspondence with national and international

bodies

loan agreements

Table 1:Governance Objectives and Records

Source: The World Bank Group12

This table show how a governing body interdependent with various category of records in

course of its action and operation. Availability of those records will transpire its

accountability, transparency and quality management. Records keeping should be able tocope with growing collection of unmanaged records.

Conclusion

12 The World Bank Group. Records Keeping and Accountability. 16 September 2005. http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/EXTARCHIVES/0,,contentMDK:20035498~page

PK:36726~menuPK:57185~piPK:36092,00.html

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http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/EXTARCHIVES/0,,contentMDK:20035498~pagehttp://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/EXTARCHIVES/0,,contentMDK:20035498~page


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The marketing of records management concept, and its significance importance towards

support of core operation in any public institution/agency should become continuous

priority for every records professionals. Through this opinion paper, it is hoped soonthere will be cooperation between academician, administration and policy maker into

establishing a national plan for records management with concern in creating records

officers, and guidelines to be followed. Sector that have start adopting a recordsmanagement programmed into their total quality accreditation (MSQH requirement) are

health. The very difference between academician and officials thinking regarding records

management should then be stamp out.

REREFENCE:

Corruption perception index. Transparency International. 16 August 2005.

Denhordt, Robert B. Theories of public organization. 4th ed. Thomson-Wadsworth:

California, 2004

Luther Gulick.Politic, Administration and the New Deal. 1933.

International Records Management Trust .Evidence Based Governance in Electronic

Age. 12 September 2005.

http://www.irmt.org/evidence/

International Standards Organization. ISO 15489-1:2001Information and

documentation-records management-Part 1: general.

Jack, Kim. Anti Corruption System, Effects and Strategies in Asia.Fighting Corruption

in ASIA: Causes Effect and Remedial. John Kidd, Frank-Jurgen Richter. World

Scientific: New Jersey, 2003

Luther Gulick. Politic, Administration and the New Deal. 1933.

McKemmish, Sue. The Smoking Gun: Record Keeping and Accountability. Records

Continuum Research Group, PTAR Library 12 August 2005.

Management in Malaysia: base text in general management with local reference to

managing a Malaysian business. Institut Pengurusan Malaysia, 1999.

Phangpariat and Piriyarangsar. Compliance and democracy in Thailand. Chiang May,

Silkhew Books, 1996.Corruption report 2004. Anti Corruption Agency. 16August

2005.

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http://www.transparency.org/http://www.transparency.org/http://www.irmt.org/evidence/http://www.transparency.org/http://www.irmt.org/evidence/


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< http://www.bpr.gov.my/>

Shepherd, Elizabeth. and Geoffrey Yeo,. Managing records: a handbook of principle andpractice. Facet : London, 2004.

The right to information, information, public awareness and public records. TI SourceBook 2000. Transparency International, 2000, 235-246.

The World Bank Group. Records Keeping and Accountability. 16 September 2005.

10
http://www.bpr.gov.my/http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/EXTARCHIVES/0,,contentMDK:20035498~pagehttp://www.bpr.gov.my/http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/EXTARCHIVES/0,,contentMDK:20035498~page

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