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The Star

Strata management bodies welcome proposed property law

STRATA management bodies in Selangor have welcomed a proposed new law aimed at tackling long-standing issues concerning poor property and building management. During his keynote address at the International Strata Sympo­sium last month, Housing and Local Govern­ment Minister Nga Kor Ming said the government was mulling such a law. Pandan Heights ­management corporation chairman Haresh Vikram Vijayakumar told StarMetro that a new law was necessary to help strata management bodies address the operational and legal challenges in maintaining buildings efficiently. 'A well-designed law could enhance governance, increase transparency and streamline dispute resolution processes, especially in dealing with delinquent owners, unlicensed contractors, and enforcement issues,' he said. Haresh says the government must improve the efficiency of the Commissioner of Buildings. Permata Residence joint management body chairman Tan Kuan Kit said a new law could ensure strata properties were well managed and protected. 'It will also send a message to unqualified property management companies that they are now on the government's radar,' he said. Haresh said the shortage of capable and licensed property management firms caused problems for management bodies, especially those located in non-prime areas. 'They are sometimes forced to settle for inexperienced or unlicensed firms, which opens the door to mismanagement. 'The process of appointing licensed property managers is also quite tedious as it involves issuing tenders, conducting multi­ple rounds of interviews, background checks, and striking a balance between costs and quality of work. 'Though transparency is key, practicality is also important. Tan says a new law can ensure strata properties are well-managed. 'Often, we face difficulties verifying the firms' track records due to the lack of accessible and centralised data on their performance,' said Haresh. It has been previously reported that there were currently only 594 licensed firms serving some 26,334 strata schemes or 2.9 million units of strata properties in Malaysia. Besides legislations, Haresh also urged the government to introduce more training programmes to leverage the capacity of the members of strata management bodies. 'The government should also improve the efficiency of the Commissioner of Buildings. 'Digitalising submissions and complaint management systems could also streamline processes and increase transparency,' he suggested. Tan urged the government to strengthen as well the enforcement on maintenance fee payment. 'It should be made a must for owners to pay their maintenance fees, just like how they must pay assessment taxes,' he stressed.