Records professionals: an invisible profession in Malaysia
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/09565691111125116 |
| Date | 29 March 2011 |
| Pages | 69-75 |
| Published date | 29 March 2011 |
| Author | Aliza Ismail,Adnan Jamaludin |
| Subject Matter | Information & knowledge management |
Records professionals: an
invisible profession in Malaysia
Aliza Ismail and Adnan Jamaludin
Faculty of Information Management, University Technology MARA,
Shah Alam, Malaysia
Abstract
Purpose – This study seeks to examine the existence of records professionals and their role in
Malaysian organizations.
Design/methodology/approach – The study compares case studies done in six
government-controlled companies. Interviews were conducted with the persons handling the records
and information(including records in electronicenvironment) in the organizations.The interviews were
then transcribed and analyzed manually to obtain the comparative data from each case.
Findings – The findings indicate that there are no “real” records professionals in Malaysian
organizations. The responsibility and accountability of documenting and managing the organizations’
records are dispersed and decentralized. Records managers as a profession are not established within
the Malaysian organization structures. Generally there is no specific position of “records manager” in
Malaysian organizations. However, the “archivists” are confined at the National Archives and there
are no such positions at any of the case organizations studied.
Research limitations/implications – The study selected six of the government-controlled
companies.
Practical implications – Findings and discovery of the study are significant in confirming that
Malaysian organizations (both public and private) are taking their records management
responsibilities very unconscientiously with little understanding and support from the top
management. They have yet to realize the risk their organizations are facing for non-compliance to
records management standards and practices.
Originality/value – The study confirms the non-existence of the records professional’s position in
the formal structures of Malaysian organizations. Though their roles and responsibilities are vital in
the management and protection of records to support the business delivery of the organizations, their
functions are carried out without due recognition to the profession.
Keywords Records management, Archives management,Employees, Malaysia
Paper type Research paper
Introduction
Randomly asking the people on the streets, who are the records professionals in
Malaysia – the most likely answers are “sorry ...never heard of it before” or “pardon
me ...what did you say?” or just a shrug indicating their ignorance. Again if you ask
the Malaysian children what do they want to be when they grow up? Definitely the
answers do not include “records manager” or “archivist” but all the other well-known
and established professions such as doctors, engineers or architects. The obvious
indication is that this profession is unknown and invisible to the eyes and mind of the
general public in Malaysia.
Although the National Archives of Malaysia has been in existence for more than 50
years since 1957, and records regardless of their medium are being created every day
by almost everybody in organizations and individuals, it is ironic to note that not many
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available at
www.emeraldinsight.com/0956-5698.htm
Records
professionals
69
Received 29 October 2009
Revised 5 May 2010
Accepted 9 August 2010
Records Management Journal
Vol. 21 No. 1, 2011
pp. 69-75
qEmerald Group Publishing Limited
0956-5698
DOI 10.1108/09565691111125116
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