"lllogical" & "unacceptable": Property managers slam Chor's proposed bill

Published on 11th Oct 2012

PETALING JAYA - The government's reason for the proposed amendment to the Strata Management Bill 2012 is "illogical" and "unacceptable", property managers claimed yesterday.

Malaysian Institute of Professional Property Managers (MIPPM) president Ishak Ismail said there was no issue of monopoly, which Housing and Local Government Minister Datuk Seri Chor Chee Heung had said was the main reason for the amendment.

This is because property management is a profession and not a business, and should therefore be regulated as all other professions are, he said.

"The minister has the responsibility to consider the interest of the public at large – house buyers and owners – and ensure property managers are regulated and under the purview of the Board of Valuers, Appraisers and Estate Agents.

"There is no issue of monopoly as those who are qualified property managers can register and start a practice as suggested in a proposed amendment to the Valuers, Appraisers and Estate Agents Act 1981 (VAEA)," he said.

The proposed amendment, which was announced on Sept 26, seeks to remove the term "registered property manager" and replace it with a newly defined "property manager" so that non-registered property managers can manage stratified buildings.

Board of Valuers, Appraisers and Estate Agents board member Siders Sittampalam said regulating the industry would not result in additional costs for the owners as registered property managers had to adhere to a fee scale under the VAEA.

"Sometimes, illegal property managers charge even higher fees than we do because they're not regulated or held accountable," he said.

Sittampalam, however, reiterated that owners who wish to manage their properties can continue doing so.

"This act only applies to owners who outsource property management to a third party, this should require a registered property manager," he said.

Meanwhile, Building Management Association of Malaysia (BMAM) secretary-general Prof S. Venkateswaran said BMAM was happy to hear Chor's intention to ensure there would be no monopoly of the building management industry.

"However, we still call for the term 'property manager' to be removed and replaced with 'building manager' so as to be consistent with the aims and objectives of BMAM," he told theSun yesterday.

He added that the mooted regulatory body for building managers should fall within the jurisdiction of the Housing and Local Government Ministry.

-thesundaily