GEORGE TOWN, Saturday 31 July 2010 (Bernama) -- The Commissioner of Buildings (COB) must play an important role in assisting the Joint Management Body (JMB) and the Management Corporation (MC) in maintenance and management of buildings with strata titles.

Minister of Housing and Local Government Datuk Chor Chee Heung said the powers vested on the COB must be utilised fully because some JMB and MC for buildings with strata titles are not functioning effectively.

"They are many problems like owners and tenants not paying maintenance charges to the management and sinking fund will not be enough to cater for maintenance and up keeping such buildings.

"As such, the COB must use the powers vested, to assist the JMB and MC to resolve such matters," he told reporters after opening a seminar on Management of Buildings with strata titles for the North Zone here today.

Chor said as of Dec 31, 2009 a total of 11,981 areas with strata titles was identified and from the total 1,931 were buildings with strata titles in the North Zone, namely Penang (1,590), Perak (199) and Kedah (142).

He added that from the 11,981 buildings, only 5,480 areas had formed JMB and MC while the lack of information and understanding of the Act, management and maintenance and common property, have been identified as reasons for owners and tenants failing to pay maintenance fee to the management.

Act 663 Building and Common Property, (Management and Maintenance) Act 2007 were introduced on April 12, 2007 to overcome the issue of owners receiving their strata titles late and to streamline the process of management and maintenance of buildings with strata titles.

Chor also reminded tenants living in buildings with strata titles to maintain their relationship because every owner of a unit would be bound by his or her lifelong investment.

"In buildings with strata titles, everyone is responsible for the common property like lifts, staircase, garden, pool, water tank, roof, pipes, sewage, multi-purpose hall and other facilities available. So, a collective decision is important to resolve problems," he said.