KUALA LUMPUR: With floods expected at the end of the year due to heavy rain brought by the northeast monsoon, experts believe that social media can be a lifesaving tool to help the people.
Political and social media analyst Associate Professor Dr Sara Chinnasamy from Universiti Tek-nologi Mara said during floods, many users on platforms such as Twitter and Facebook made and shared posts about inundated areas and people seeking help before assistance arrived.
She said social media could be used to the authorities' advantage to help improve rescue and relief operations, as well as provide a channel for the public to send donations.
"Twitter has been especially useful during emergencies as its users can share short 140-character messages and follow public messages from other users.
"Such openness leads to a network topology characterised by a large number of accounts followed by an average user, placing Twitter somewhere between a purely social network and a purely informational network," she told the New Straits Times.
She said after the earthquake in Nepal that killed thousands of people in 2015, Facebook activated the Safety Check feature, which was developed by the platform's engineers to help people make contact during and after the earthquake and tsunami in Tohoku, Japan, in 2011.
She said the feature allows users near disaster sites to mark themselves as "safe" to notify family and friends, as well as locate loved ones.
"Apart from the positive features, social media is slowly turning out to be a lifesaving tool. In theory, it is a complete communication model where a user sends out information, receives feedback and responds to it.
"While some express anguish and grief, others call for help. The final and most important people are those leaving flood-hit regions.
"The information has to be sifted, classified and channelled (to agencies) to make the best of such reactions (on social media)."
Malaysia International Search & Rescue Malaysia chairman and safety activist Captain K. Balasupramaniam said it was crucial for government agencies to work together and keep communication channels open.
He said the forecasted floods at the end of the year was a chance for the authorities to show their capabilities in responding to emergencies.
"I agree that the authorities should make full use of social media and respond swiftly to conduct rescue efforts.
"Equally important is ensuring sufficient manpower, equipment and vehicles. Boats are crucial to rescue personnel to move about during floods."
He said the food distributed to victims at relief centres should be kept simple to prevent food poisoning, with dishes with santan or gravy avoided altogether.
He said the public should adhere to instructions by the authorities to evacuate their homes due to rising floodwaters.
For motorists stranded on the road, he said, it was essential to have survival food such as snacks and water on standby.
The Meteorological Department recently forecast that huge floods were possible following the northeast monsoon, which would bring continuous heavy rain from mid-November.