gis in malaysia ... apa jadi

I told you so ...

Somehow when tragedy strikes ... lahad datu incursion, crashes, accidents, flood, water cut, power failure, political tsunami, pollution etc etc ... agencies scramble to understand the root cause. Why nobody questions the poor use of data??? Collection, assimilation, correction, analysis, planning, decision making and conclusion will never work without correct data. Understanding the use and value of maps and GIS data is critical in making good decisions, planning for crisis or avoid it in first place.

We have seen so many GIS projects fail ... I have worked with many departments and companies setting up systems, database and hardware ... consulting on project deliverable, developing strategies and even coding custom solutions. The biggest problem is data discipline, usage and governance. GIS projects end up costing millions of tax payers money with little or no return of investment ... and this surely frustrates ministries in awarding more GIS projects in future. The aim and mission is noble ... the execution normally fails. Maps have answers to many of the questions we ask ...

There's no shortcut to this ... we cannot simply rely on expensive software, hardware or even GIS specialists in solving the fundamental issue of data accuracy, relevancy and usability. We can have the best data model for our military, urban planning, transportation, energy, utility, land survey, environmental, plantation, petroleum ... but without populating it with good data ... its useless.  

I still have hope ...