IN 2014, as the Islamic State group (ISIS) seized control of vast regions in Eastern Syria and Western Iraq, a haunting scene of relentless chaos unfolded—a narrative all too familiar in the war-torn landscapes of Ukraine and Gaza today.
Rubble-lined streets destroyed infrastructure that once housed civilians and provided education and healthcare, and crippled transport systems were the harsh realities of conflict zones.
However, within this turmoil rose individuals like Raja Segaran Kuppusamy, a seasoned expert in disaster management, whose mission was to restore, reconstruct, and rebuild (Build Back Better) life, livelihood, and infrastructure to the ghostly remnants of once-vibrant communities.
From 2006 to 2020, Raja embarked on a tireless journey, not only in war-torn zones but also in the aftermath of natural disasters. Armed with a degree in civil engineering from Colorado State University, USA, specialising in the construction of new greenfield airports, and railways (monorail) Raja navigated treacherous terrains, transforming destroyed cities and villages into liveable townships. His postgraduate professional certification specialising in disaster management during natural and unnatural disaster crises from United Nations IFRC – TISS program came in handy in achieving his feat.
“It is a 24/7 job. When I was in Iraq, I was managing more than 500 emergency and transitional community projects in Northwest, South, and Northeast regions with around 300 office support and field engineers under my department. We had to restore, reconstruct and rebuild the township from ground zero amid ongoing conflict crisis,” reflects Raja, who was hospitalised at the end of his tenure with the UN Migration Agency.
The sleepless nights spent in war rooms, the heart-wrenching decisions made in the name of humanity, extreme fatigue, depression, and inhalation of chemical residuals from burning oil wells took a toll on Raja’s health. He was hospitalised despite his steely determination, however, his unwavering determination to rebuild communities never wavered.
Raja’s journey began in 2006 when he joined the UN Humanitarian Agency (UN IOM) as a Disaster Risk Response infrastructure engineer, tasked with restoring Aceh after the devastating 9.3 Richter scale Tsunami. His focus was on rebuilding horizontal infrastructure —roads, bridges, highways, and railroads, and sanitation projects, permanent shelter, schools, and hospitals to ensure the return of shelter, medicine, and food to normalcy.
“When people are displaced in thousands, we must race against time to build the infrastructure without comprising safety,” says Raja who was in charge of Construction, Coordination and Camp Management (CCCM). Raja was also sent to Yogyakarta when the city was hit by an earthquake, and other conflict regions in Nepal and Bangladesh.
“Disaster management includes forecasting early prevention, adapting mitigation and resilience measures from previous lessons learned from disaster response enabling governments to communicate with communities prevention, preparedness, response, mitigations and restoration during post-disaster, and rebuilding and restoring basic life support,” explains Raja.
His work involved countless hours of rebuilding shattered lives and orchestrating a team of hundreds of experts.
His most challenging assignment came in Iraq and Afghanistan, where he restored infrastructure amid the ongoing war.
“Oil wells were burning in the background when we were building camps for both locals and refugees displaced from Syria,” recalls Raja. His largest project involved building a camp for over 90,000 people in Mosul Gayarah and Haj Ali, navigating through feasibility studies, land assessments, demining, and coordination with USA and Iraqi armed forces.
But Raja’s work extended beyond physical infrastructure. His team ensured the presence of teachers and doctors, developed vocational training (TVET) for youth, and created recreational sites to deter them from joining extremist groups.
Before Iraq, Raja was based in Afghanistan as the Technical Project Advisor in 2009. What prepared him for this challenge and groomed him into the impeccable expert he is today was his training at the International Federation of Red Cross (IFRC – Tata Institute of Strategy Studies in India where only experts are provided training on disaster management.
“When I took up my posting in Afghanistan, the whole country was under US control, we did our work with funding from USAID. I built hospitals with 50-100 beds and sanitation system,” Raja says. Planning, implementing, and handing over all came under his jurisdiction. He brought in doctors from India, the Middle East, and Europe. Education and governance had to be restored, so universities, colleges, schools, and government infrastructure were also built.
Despite being a Disaster Risk Response expert, Raja left his mark in the transport industry in the 1990s, contributing to the construction of Denver Airport and later being headhunted by the Malaysian government to build the KL International Airport, designed as a futuristic hub with business complexes and hotels.
Completing the airport assignment, he moved on to be a consultant for the Works Department where he was involved in building the “Made in Malaysia” monorail. He was part of the Malaysian, German, and Japanese teams and left his mark as the first Malaysian to oversee the fabrication, testing, and commissioning of the KL Monorail trains and handing over to the Build-Operate-Transfer concessionaires.
Now, with a wealth of experience, Raja aims to impart his knowledge to young Malaysians and contribute to infrastructure development in Malaysia.
The passion in this man refuses to be extinguished, and his journey stands as a testament to the indomitable spirit of those who dedicate their lives to rebuilding in the aftermath of disaster.
