It’s up to property owners

The Star 21/11/2006

WE refer to an article by K.W. Mak entitled “Water tariff hike the issue” that was published in the Nov 13 issue of StarMetro.

Chairman of All PJ Pro Action Sub-Committee of Condominiums, apartments and high-rise, Tengku Nazaruddin alleged that the proposed amendments to the Valuers, Appraisers and Estate Agents Act 1981 allowed only the Board of Valuers, Appraisers and Estate Agents and the Institution of Surveyors Malaysia the final say in the management and maintenance of stratified property in the country.

He further alleged that the conferment of such rights to a group of untrained persons is a cause for concern.

The Board of Valuers, Appraisers and Estate Agents disagrees with his views in toto.

The current law allows all property owners to manage their own properties and they can employ anyone to manage the property for them.

In this context, management corporations, as owners, can employ anyone as an employee to manage the property with all risks and liabilities shouldered by the management corporation itself.

The restriction which is imposed under the Act is on an individual, partnership or body corporate that is not a registered owner of the property but offers the service of property management for a fee.

The proposed amendments are to widen and enlarge the scope of persons who can do property management especially those who are currently engaged in property management.

Please bear in mind that property management is already a regulated profession.

The Board is merely liberalising the registration to enable more professionals to enter into this profession rather than restrict the profession.

All registered property managers are trained and armed with a property management degree.


ABDULLAH THALITH MD THANI,
Chairman, Board of Valuers, Appraisers and Estate Agents Malaysia.