Write an article about Cyberjaya student’s death exposes flaws in strata property management .Organize the content with appropriate headings and subheadings (h1, h2, h3, h4, h5, h6), Retain any existing tags from
From Wong Ya Ping
The recent death of 20-year-old University of Cyberjaya physiotherapy student Maniishapriet Kaur Akhara in her Cyberjaya hostel, while initially sparking criticism of the university, has exposed deeper, systemic issues within Malaysia’s strata property management which the housing and local government ministry has failed to adequately address for years.
As a principal lecturer at Multimedia University, a three-term chairman of a joint management body (JMB) in Cyberjaya adjacent to the condominium where the tragedy occurred, and an active participant in various other management corporations, I feel compelled to share critical insights into the pervasive problems that strata communities face daily – issues that resonate in both the academic and practical spheres.
While the murder has rightly sparked widespread criticism regarding the university’s security lapses, it has also prompted urgent calls for the higher education ministry to review and strengthen safety protocols at student accommodations nationwide.
However, the media has largely missed a critical detail: the hostel isn’t entirely under the university’s control. It’s located within a strata property managed by its joint management body (JMB).
My understanding, corroborated by a former joint management committee (JMC) member and online research, indicates that the developer sold these units in 2010 with a 25-year guaranteed rental return via a concession agreement.
This incident casts a harsh light on the broader, long-debated issues of security and management within strata properties in Malaysia.
The proposed board: a band-aid, not a cure?
The housing and local government ministry is currently proposing the establishment of a new Board of Building Managers (BOBM) and a dedicated Act for property managers, an area currently regulated by the Board of Valuers, Appraisers, Estate Agents and Property Managers (BOVAEP).
This proposal stems from persistent criticisms regarding insufficient and incompetent property management.
However, concerns about the housing and local government ministry compromising independence and creating conflicts of interest, especially with the Building Management Association of Malaysia (BMAM) (representing developers) advocating for the new board, cannot be dismissed lightly.
While the specific merits of this proposal are best debated by industry professionals, as a three-term chairman of a JMB in Cyberjaya – right next to the condominium where Maniishapriet was murdered in – and an active participant in other management corporations, I firmly believe many problems faced by strata property communities stem from the housing and local government ministry’s fundamental failure to adequately enforce the Strata Management Act 2013 and its related regulations.
Systemic failures and a crisis of oversight
Corruption and mismanagement of funds by management committees are rampant in strata properties, often occurring right under the nose of the Commissioner of Buildings (COBs).
It often feels as if the COB’s role is limited to responding to complaints by issuing templated letters, frequently without any follow-up.
Even when presented with strong evidence, we’re often advised to take matters to the tribunal.
As an ordinary owner, I once brought a JMB to the tribunal over tender fraud with clear evidence.
Astonishingly, the tribunal president not only ignored our objection regarding the respondent’s submission of false documented evidence, but also stated he would “rule by hook or by crook” just days before delivering his summary ruling against me, citing insufficient evidence.
My hand-delivered letter to the housing and local government minister disappeared into a silent black hole.
Even the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission is reluctant to investigate, viewing individual owners or small groups as “small fry”.
Many issues plaguing property management are inherited directly from developers, including persistent building defects, water leaks, unresolved developer-owned car parks, and imbalanced representation from various parcels in mixed developments.
This is further compounded by buildings often being designed for aesthetics or cost-saving, with little to no consideration for how they will be managed later.
Furthermore, in Cyberjaya and undoubtedly many other places, countless strata residents face the daily nightmare of living next to units illegally converted into hostels, as seen in the condominium Maniishapriet was murdered in.
In some properties, three-room units are being used as hostels for over 15 foreign workers, many of whom are undocumented, all under the watchful, and seemingly complicit, eyes of corrupted management and committees.
A call for real solutions
The housing and local government ministry should prioritise addressing these fundamental, real-world problems and genuinely listen to the rakyat.
The proposed new board will not resolve these deeply ingrained issues and could potentially create even more.
Instead, the ministry should focus its energy on strengthening BOVAEP and the COBs, who are currently understaffed and lack a sufficient legal and operational framework to act effectively.
Loopholes in the Strata Management Act 2013 must be urgently addressed.
Robust measures must be implemented to prevent the rampant mismanagement of funds and common properties by management committees and property management companies.
There is also a critical need for an appeal tribunal within the strata management tribunal, and competent, unbiased tribunal presidents must be appointed.
Ultimately, Maniishapriet’s death is less an issue of university management and more a direct consequence of an age-old, systemic problem that the housing and local government ministry has repeatedly failed to acknowledge and address for years.
Wong Ya Ping is a lecturer at a local university and is a former three-term chairman of a joint management body of a condominium block in Cyberjaya.
The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of FMT.
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