Standing for Your Condo Committee in Malaysia: Who Can, How and What It Involves

中文 · Bahasa Melayu · Bahasa Indonesia

By Jason Lim, REN 84424 · IQI Realty · Checked on 14 November 2026

Can you stand for your condo’s management committee in Malaysia? If you own a unit and your charges and sinking fund are fully paid, generally yes, including if you are a foreigner or live overseas. Committee members are elected at the annual general meeting (AGM), serve until the next one, and may serve no more than three terms in a row. The rules come from the Strata Management Act 2013 and its 2015 Regulations, and the Commissioner of Buildings (COB) at your council oversees them.

First: which committee are we talking about?

Every condo, serviced residence and gated strata estate in Peninsular Malaysia is run under the Strata Management Act 2013 (Act 757). Before strata titles are issued, the building is run by a Joint Management Body (JMB), and its committee is the joint management committee, which must include the developer (section 22). After strata titles are issued, a Management Corporation (MC) takes over, and its committee is the management committee (section 56). My JMB vs MC guide explains the handover.

Both committees follow the Second Schedule of the Act (for a JMB, “proprietor” is read as “parcel owner”), so the rules below apply to both.

Who can stand for the committee

Person	Can they be elected?	Basis
Owner of a parcel (purchaser under a JMB, proprietor under an MC), fully paid up	Yes	Act 757, Second Schedule, paragraph 2(7); COB FAQ
Foreign or non-resident owner	Yes. The Act only requires the person to be an owner.	Kuala Lumpur COB FAQ
Immediate family member nominated by an owner	In limited cases set by the Act; “immediate family” means spouse, child (including adopted and stepchild), siblings and parents	Second Schedule, paragraph 2(7)(c); 2015 Regulations, regulation 33
Owner with unpaid charges or sinking fund	No, and they cannot vote either	Second Schedule, paragraph 2(9); COB FAQ
Tenant attending as the owner’s proxy	No. A proxy may attend and vote but cannot be elected.	COB FAQ
Someone who has sold their unit	No. Members must hold a strata title or an SPA for a parcel.	COB FAQ
A member who has just served three consecutive terms	Not at this AGM; they must sit out a term first	Second Schedule, paragraph 2(6)

Arrears are the usual reason a candidate is turned away. The Act sets a cut-off before the meeting, and the AGM notice usually states it. A family nominee’s nominating owner must also be clear. Ask the office for a statement of your account well before the AGM. My guide to unpaid maintenance fees explains what else arrears can cost you.

Residency is not a condition. Kuala Lumpur’s COB said Act 757 only requires the person to be a parcel owner, so foreign and non-resident owners may serve, even as chairman. A resolution limiting seats to residents risks clashing with the Act; raise it with your COB.

How the election works at the AGM

1. Watch for the notice. The AGM must be called with at least 14 days’ notice, posted on the notice board and sent to owners. For an MC’s first AGM, an owner can ask for a motion to be added by writing at least 7 days before the meeting (2015 Regulations, regulation 23); for later AGMs, check the deadline in the notice.
2. Clear your dues. Pay any charges, sinking fund and late interest by the cut-off date. Keep the receipt.
3. Get nominated. Follow the method in the notice: written nominations in advance or from the floor. Bring your title or SPA details.
4. The meeting fixes the number of seats within the legal range of 3 to 14 (for a JMB’s first AGM, section 19(1)(a)).
5. The vote. On a show of hands, each parcel has one vote. On a poll, votes are weighted by share units. When there are many nominees, The Edge suggested deciding by poll, and some buildings also use a secret ballot. Check the method set out in the AGM notice.
6. The first committee meeting follows the AGM and elects the chairman, secretary and treasurer from among the members.

For how proxies, quorum and share-unit voting work in detail, see my condo AGM voting guide and my explainer on share units.

Terms, limits and pay

Rule	What it says	Source
Committee size	At least 3, at most 14 members	Act 757; The Edge Malaysia, 27 August 2026
Term	Elected at each AGM; retiring members may stand again	Second Schedule, paragraph 2(6)
Consecutive terms	No more than three in a row	Second Schedule, paragraph 2(6)
Chairman, secretary, treasurer	Chosen by the committee from among its members at the first committee meeting after the AGM; check your by-laws and your council’s COB for any term rule for these posts	Act 757, Second Schedule; your council’s COB
Salary	None. An allowance may be set by AGM or EGM resolution, subject to COB approval.	Kuala Lumpur COB FAQ
Committee minutes	Signed and displayed on the notice board within 21 days of the meeting	The Edge Malaysia, 27 August 2026
Missing AGM	Failing to hold an AGM is an offence: fine up to RM50,000, jail up to 3 years, or both	2015 Regulations, regulation 34

A 2017 letter to The Star argued the three-term limit pushes out willing volunteers where few owners step forward. In practice, a building needs new volunteers every few years.

What committee members actually do

The committee runs the JMB or MC between general meetings. Its legal duties come from sections 21 (JMB) and 59 (MC) of the Act:

• Keep the building and common property in good and serviceable repair.
• Set and collect charges and sinking fund contributions by share units (sinking fund at least 10% of charges). See my maintenance fee and sinking fund guide.
• Insure the building, follow council notices and keep the owners’ register or strata roll.
• Have the accounts audited every year and file them with the COB.
• Enforce the by-laws, and act on arrears through notices, the tribunal or the COB.
• Hire and supervise contractors or a managing agent. A JMB cannot sign maintenance contracts longer than 12 months (section 21(3)).

The Edge likened the committee to a board of directors: the property manager prepares options and handles administration, and the committee decides. Expect regular meetings, quotations, accounts, payment approvals and owners’ questions. Members also handle owners’ personal data, so the PDPA rules for condo management apply. Big repairs may need a special levy, which goes to a general meeting.

Personal risk: what you are signing up for

Committee work is voluntary, but the Act puts responsibility on every member for some core duties. If a JMB fails to keep proper accounts or file audited statements, every committee member commits an offence, with a fine up to RM250,000, jail up to three years, or both (section 26(5)). The same applies to a failed handover to the MC (section 27). Failing to keep the register of owners can mean a fine up to RM10,000, jail up to three years, or both (section 30). In each case, a member has a defence if they took all reasonable precautions and exercised due diligence.

Practical habits that protect you:

• Read the accounts and bank statements yourself; my guide to reading JMB and MC accounts helps.
• Never sign blank cheques; require two signatories and supporting invoices.
• Declare any link to a contractor or supplier and step out of that decision. KL’s COB said hiring committee members’ relatives is not barred if the AGM agrees, but is discouraged because of conflicts of interest.
• Record decisions in signed minutes; object in writing if you disagree.

When you stop being a committee member

Your seat ends at the next AGM unless you are re-elected. It can also end earlier under paragraph 3 of the Second Schedule, including if you resign, die, become bankrupt or of unsound mind, sell your unit, are convicted of certain offences, miss three consecutive committee meetings without leave, stop representing a corporate owner, or fall into arrears. KL’s COB said a seat lost this way does not affect the other members, and someone who has sold their unit cannot keep signing cheques.

When nobody stands, or the election goes wrong

Problem	What can happen
No AGM for years	Owners can complain to the COB. In October 2026 the Court of Appeal upheld a COB order for an EGM to elect a new committee at a Petaling Jaya building that had held no AGM since November 2019 (The Edge Malaysia, 23 October 2026).
Too few volunteers or a failed election	KL’s COB says complaints should reach it within 7 days after the AGM; it may set a new meeting date or appoint an agent. After an inquiry, a COB can appoint a managing agent paid from the maintenance account (section 86).
Ineligible people elected, or rules ignored	Write to the committee, then the COB at your council: MBJB, MBIP, MBPG or MPKu in the Johor Bahru area.
Resolutions or decisions you want set aside	The Strata Management Tribunal hears claims up to RM250,000; filing for a home costs RM100. See my tribunal guide.

The rules may change: in August 2026 the housing minister said the government would consider amending the Act to make JMBs and MCs more accountable, noting almost three million strata units in over 27,000 schemes (The Star, 10 August 2026).

If you own a Johor condo from overseas

Singaporean, Indonesian, Chinese or other foreign owners can stand on the same terms as locals. Be realistic about the time: missing three meetings in a row without leave can cost you the seat. If you cannot commit, attend AGMs in person or send a proxy, who can vote for you but cannot be elected. My guide to managing a JB property from overseas covers the rest. For buying, foreigners generally need to pay at least RM1 million for a Johor home, with only limited exceptions (for example, some serviced apartments sold by developers with state approval); no area is exempt as a whole (New Straits Times, April 2026); see Johor’s foreigner minimum price.

Why buyers should care about the committee

When I help a client compare condos, the committee is part of the check. Good signs: on-time AGMs, a full committee, signed minutes on the notice board and audited accounts filed with the COB. Warning signs: no AGM for years, a three-person committee, failed elections and high arrears. My checklist on checking condo management before buying and the guide to arrears in a subsale show what to ask the seller for. General information only, not legal advice; for a specific dispute, check with your council’s COB, the tribunal or a lawyer.

Where to buy if this matters to you

Committee quality depends on the building, not the area, but these areas have many completed condos with years of AGM records to read:

• Mount Austin: many completed condos and serviced residences.
• Tebrau, Setia Indah and Molek: condos and gated strata homes.
• JB Sentral and Bukit Chagar: high-rises near the CIQ and the RTS Link station.
• Danga Bay: waterfront towers.
• Permas Jaya and Senibong: east-side condos, old and new.
• Iskandar Puteri: newer buildings, some still at the developer or JMB stage.

Compare them on my JB property map.

More Johor living guides: Condo running costs in JB · Buying an older condo · Noisy neighbours in condos · Condo parking disputes · Strata title explained · Adding new condo by-laws · Deed of mutual covenant explained

Frequently asked questions

Who can stand for a condo management committee in Malaysia?

An owner of a parcel in the development: a purchaser under a JMB or a registered proprietor under an MC, with no unpaid charges or sinking fund. In limited cases the Act also lets an owner nominate an immediate family member.

Can I stand for the committee if I owe maintenance fees?

No. Owners in arrears of charges or sinking fund cannot be elected and cannot vote. Clear your account before the cut-off date in the AGM notice and keep the receipt.

Can a foreigner or a tenant sit on the JMB or MC committee?

A foreign or non-resident owner can, because the Act only requires the person to be an owner. A tenant cannot be elected, even when attending as the owner’s proxy.

How long can someone stay on the committee?

Members are elected at each AGM and may stand again, but no one may serve more than three consecutive terms. After that they must sit out a term before standing again.

Are condo committee members paid?

There is no salary. Kuala Lumpur’s COB says an allowance can be set by an AGM or EGM resolution, subject to the COB’s approval. Check your own council’s practice.

Can committee members be personally liable?

For some duties, yes. If accounts, audited statements, the owners’ register or the handover to the MC are not done, every member can commit an offence, unless they show they took reasonable precautions and due diligence.

Owning or buying a condo in Johor Bahru?

Tell me the project and unit. I will help you get the AGM minutes, committee list, accounts and charges statement through the seller, explain what they show, and arrange viewings. You can also book an appointment, or a Zoom consultation if you are abroad.

Sources: Strata Management Act 2013 (Act 757), sections 19, 21, 22, 26, 27, 30, 56, 59 and 86 and the Second Schedule (copy published by DBKL), checked November 2026; Strata Management (Maintenance and Management) Regulations 2015, P.U.(A) 107, regulations 23, 33 and 34 (copy published by DBKL), 1 June 2015; Pesuruhjaya Bangunan Kuala Lumpur (DBKL), Soalan Lazim Seminar Komuniti Strata, 2015–2016; KPKT, Soalan Lazim Tribunal Pengurusan Strata, updated 9 July 2025; MBJB, Info MBJB (Bahagian Pesuruhjaya Bangunan), June 2018; The Star, “Wrong to bar owners from managing their strata properties” (letter), 28 November 2017; The Edge Malaysia, “Understanding your strata stake”, 27 August 2026; The Edge Malaysia, “Appeals court affirms building regulator’s power to force residents’ committee election”, 23 October 2026; The Star, “Govt mulls amending Strata Management Act to strengthen accountability of JMBs, MCs”, 10 August 2026; New Straits Times, “Foreigners hit Johor property resale wall”, 20 April 2026

Jason Lim, REN 84424, IQI Realty Sdn. Bhd. E (1) 1584/6. General information checked on 14 November 2026, not legal advice. Strata rules and COB practice differ by council and the Strata Management Act 2013 is under review; confirm with the Commissioner of Buildings at your council, the Strata Management Tribunal or a lawyer before you act.