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House Passes Building And
Common Property Bill
Bernama 13/12/2006
KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 13 (Bernama) -- The Building and Common Property
(Maintenance and Management) Bill 2006 passed by the Dewan Rakyat, Wednesday
will provide greater protection to owners of common property such as
high-rise and commercial buildings.
In winding up debate on the bill, Housing and Local Government Minister
Datuk Seri Ong Ka Ting said the legislation was aimed at solving problems
pertaining to maintenance and management of property with strata titles.
The bill provides for the post of Commissioner of Buildings (COB) to be
established to oversee the maintenance and management services provided, he
said.
Ong said developers should be responsible for maintenance of property and
could be penalised for failing in that duty.
Speaking to reporters at the Parliament lobby later, Ong said many property
owners had lamented the need to wait for a long time to obtain their strata
titles.
"This Act will ensure that developers cannot escape their responsibility to
maintain buildings. The buyers and developers are required to form a joint
management body within 12 months," he said.
The body would fix the charge for the maintenance and management of the
buildings.
Ong said the law would cover condominiums, flats, gated housing, service
apartments, mixed development property and industrial buildings.
He said developers had to open a building management account by applying to
the commissioner of buildings to finance property maintenance and
management.
Developers who failed to hold their first joint management body meeting
within a stipulated period can be fined up to RM20,000 and if they failed to
audit the maintenance account they can be fined up to RM100,000.
-- BERNAMA |
