This research focused on pre and post-disaster planning in Malaysia since the adoption of the Hyogo Framework for Action (HFA) 2005–20 15 and national Vision 2020. A review of the existing research and practice in Malaysia including the structure and attitude of government officers at central and local authorities to risk was the starting point. The regulatory compliance to the Malaysia National Security Council MNSC Directive 20 programme is a key focus. The MNSC Directive 20 exists as the important core of disaster regulation in Malaysia but the implementation is not according to plan and regulatory compliance was low. Failures in regulation and compliance were identified as the key vulnerability and disaster causes in Malaysia. The beneficiaries were actually unaware of non-compliance that exposed them to hazard. In general, the more developed Asian economies, of which Malaysia is one, have not devoted much attention to pre-disaster planning despite a rapidly growing capital stock of buildings including public and private housing. Although the Asian Development Bank has provided templates for pre-disaster planning, the uptake has been slow. This Malaysian case study is an important example, not just for the country but the region. The aim of this research is to highlight shortfalls in provision, training and awareness, and to recommend ways of improvement. Gathered actors’ perspectives in the implementation of regulatory compliance in all level of emergency management system in Malaysia helps to explain the reason of regulatory compliance failures. Measuring their attitudes towards regulatory compliance reveals actual commitment because regulatory compliance would require making changes to existing barriers in the administrative environment. These changes would have to be based, to a large extent, on how actors’ perceived and judged the benefits of regulatory compliance implementation. The research uses both quantitative and qualitative methods together that involved 484 respondents. They have broadly negative general attitudes towards regulatory compliance, arguing that currently too many barriers are present in department levels to make regulatory compliance implementation straightforward. They need informative advice and guidance to enable them to see the very probable societal benefits that can lead towards regulatory compliance development. The research concludes by categorising obstacles that need to be overcome, to encourage actors to accept regulatory compliance and recommends changes to department structures, systems and practices prior to regulatory compliance implementation