Strata management software for JMBs and MCs in Malaysia

Act 757 applies only to Peninsular Malaysia and the Federal Territory of Labuan (s. 1(2)); Sabah and Sarawak are outside it. The State Authority may appoint a Commissioner of Buildings (COB) for a local authority area or any other area to administer the Act (s. 4(1)).

A joint management body is established on the convening of its first annual general meeting, not later than twelve months from the delivery of vacant possession of a parcel to a purchaser where vacant possession came after the Act took effect, or from the Act’s commencement where it came before. It is a body corporate with perpetual succession and a common seal, and it comprises the developer and the purchasers (s. 17).

The JMB dissolves three months from the date of the first annual general meeting of the management corporation. Within one month of that meeting it must transfer the balances in the maintenance account and the sinking fund account to the MC and hand over the accounts, assets and liabilities, and the records needed to maintain and manage the building and the common property (s. 27).

The JMB collects the Charges from parcel owners in proportion to the allocated share units of their parcels, together with the contribution to the sinking fund (s. 21(2)). The sinking fund contribution is ten per cent of the Charges unless the general meeting sets more, and it may not be lower than ten per cent (s. 25(4)); for the MC the same floor applies (s. 61(3)). The maintenance account and the sinking fund account are separate accounts with a bank or financial institution (ss. 23(1) and 24(1)).

For a JMB, a parcel owner pays the Charges and the sinking fund contribution within fourteen days of receiving the JMB’s notice, and interest on unpaid sums may not exceed ten per cent per annum (s. 25(5) and (6)). For an MC after the preliminary management period, Charges fall due on the passing of the MC’s resolution and on its terms (s. 60(4)), with late interest also capped at ten per cent per annum (s. 60(3)).

At least fourteen days’ notice of any general meeting goes to every proprietor, stating the place, date and time, each proposed resolution and the right to vote in person or by proxy (Act 757, Second Schedule, para. 12). A proprietor whose Charges, sinking fund contribution or other money due are in arrears on the seventh day before the meeting is not entitled to vote (para. 21(2)). The Act lists personal service, registered post and attaching the notice at the parcel as ways to serve a notice (s. 144), so an app message from Unitify adds to that and does not replace it.

It keeps a balance per parcel for the Charges and the sinking fund, records each payment against the right parcel, sends automatic reminders and sends the charge to the resident app, instead of reconstructing the accounts at month end in a spreadsheet. Requests from residents are tracked in the same place.

There is no JomPAY or DuitNow integration. Parcel owners pay as they do today and Unitify records the payment against the right parcel.