Making sure the maintenance of our high-rise is good for future.

“My condo’s management is ineffective! They are spending money indiscriminately!’ Familiar comment from friends who are staying in a stratified high-rise or even landed these days? Well, the most effective way for us to take some real responsibility in managing our own strata property is to join the Joint Management Committee (JMC). Seriously, if we have experience in managing issues and people in the organisation we work in, why not put some of these experience into helping to manage our home? Briefly, within 12 months from the date of the delivery of vacant possession of a home to a purchaser, a Joint Management Body (JMB) is established. This JMB is made up of the developer and the purchasers and will be jointly responsible for the maintenance and management of the strata development project. The JMB will then elect JMC and they will perform the JMB’s duties. Every JMB will have a JMC which consist of not fewer than three or not more than fourteen. A thorough article in NST by Ivan Chan can be referred to here. 
What are the duties of the JMB? As per the Strata Management Act 2013 (SMA), these include:
Determining and imposing the management fees (Yes, the management fee can go up or down though usually it’s up)
Maintaining and managing common properties so that it’s a state of good and serviceable repair (Now you know why when the JMB does not collect enough money, the maintenance starts to deteriorate)
Insuring the property and effect the insurance according to the SMA. (If fire were to break out for example, the insurance will cover it and the JMB is NOT paying for it from their funds…)
Complying with notices or orders given by local authorities (Please read all these notices yeah. For newer condos, it may come via an APP too)
Prepare and maintain register for the property of all owners
Making sure the management fund accounts are audited and provide audited financial statement for all members  (Please look at these reports on a periodical basis. Basically, the funds should at least be breaking-even if it’s not increasing. Assoon as funds start to deplete faster than the collections, it’s either higher fees or the start of nightmarish facilities…)
They can ALSO make new by-laws by way of special resolution at a general meeting. (For example, imposing a fine to owners who did not abide by the newly passed by-laws and even taking them to the Strata Management Tribunal)
Please do refer to the full article in NST for reference. 
As per another article in property360online.com, it explains this about ‘Special Resolution.’ 
Special resolution means “a resolution which is passed at a duly convened general meeting of which at least 21 days’ notice specifying the proposed resolution has been given and carried by a majority consisting of not less than 3/4 of the valid votes cast at the general meeting by a show of hands, or if a poll is demanded and taken, by a majority consisting of not less than 3/4 in number of the valid votes cast on such poll”.
If we are comfortable thus far with the maintenance of our place, we may choose to just let the JMC do their duties. If however we think there are potential improvements, by all means do our part. We can canvass our neighbours to give us some votes to become part of the JMC. Usually one would need to prepare a short speech too. I have seen some good speakers. Haha. Please do it for the sake of the high-rise property yeah. Remember, maintenance is always the key to future value of the property. Here’s an earlier article:  Maintenance is key to secondary high-rise properties  Happy working.
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written on 20 Aug 2018
Next suggested article: Of leaking units and maintenance fee defaulters