13/03/2009 The Star

SOME 400 high-rise residential buildings in Seberang Prai will be given more time to set up a Joint Management Body (JMB) for each building.

Seberang Prai Municipal councillor Soon Lip Chee said they will hold awareness seminars and campaign on the important of having such a joint body.

“Many of the building owners and flat dwellers are unaware of the requirement to form the bodies due to the developers of their buildings being declared bankrupt or they think it is not necessary due the many units left unsold in their blocks,” he said.

It is a must for high-rise residential buildings to establish the joint body once they obtain the Certificate of Fitness for Occupation given by the council.

Soon said the council will act against the building owners if they fail to form the body as required under the Building and Common Property (maintenance management) Act 2007 (Act 663) after the campaign.

The council had initially set the deadline for the bodies to be formed on April 12 last year.

Soon said the forming of such a body is to enable the residents to set up their own rules and regulations on the maintenance and management of their buildings with the management sitting on the committee as a member.

He said the council will hold its first seminar on March 26 to explain to developers and residents the need and importance of having the body.

“We hope to cover all the 400-odd high-rise buildings by the end of the year,” he said.

Soon said for developers of high-rise residential buildings who had wound up their operations, the Assignee Official will take over the task to form the JMB for the affected residents.