Bill on property likely to be passed today
12/12/2006 The Star
At the Dewan Rakyat  Reports by ZULKIFLI ABDUL RAHMAN, ELIZABETH LOOI AND FLORENCE A. SAMY

JOINT Management Body, comprising developers and purchasers, will be set up to handle property management and maintenance of strata-titled properties before it is fully handed over to the management corporations, comprising property owners.

The setting up of the new body will come into effect once the Building and Common Property (Maintenance and Management) Bill 2006 is debated and passed, which is likely to be today.

Previously, there was no mechanism to involve purchasers before a management corporation is set up.

The Bill also states that state authorities may appoint an officer known as the Commissioner of Buildings and such other officers as necessary to administer and carry out provisions under the Act.

Once the Bill is passed, developers will be bound to convene the first meeting with all purchasers and elect the committee members before deciding on the amount payable to the building fund, maintenance and management charges of common property.

Previously, there were grouses that developers were imposing exorbitant fees.

Among the duties of the Joint Management Body, is to maintain the common property and keep it in a state of good and serviceable repair; determine and impose charges that are necessary for the repair and proper maintenance of the property and to insure and keep insured the building to the replacement value of the building against fire and other risks.

The body also has the power to collect from purchasers maintenance and management charges in proportion to the allocated share units of their respective units and to arrange for the services of an agent in undertaking maintenance and management of the property.