Contrast@PJ: JMC and RA

I was invited to share my thoughts with a workshop participants on the roles and functions for Residents Association in the high rise Condominium and Apartment organised by the All Petaling Jaya Residents Association Coalition last Tuesday evening. In Malaysia, by virtue of Act 663 and while waiting for the establishment of Management Corporation, all high rise strata residential building are required to establish a Joint Management Committee (JMC) with representation from the developer and unit owners to oversee the management of the building and its facilities. While the setting up of JMC in many instances was delayed due to the vogue of the Act in detailing the modus operandi for operation and management, it is not an excuse for not doing something for sustainability. After all JMC is entrusted with the task of asset management and focusing on the hardware in which roles of providing the software or social needs are not deliberated in the Act. Hence, in order to compliment the roles of JMC in ensuring good neighbourliness and sustainable community, establishing Residents Association is the way forward.

Residents Association can initiate and facilitate community development activities and programmes, to mobilise the participation of residents, to educate residents on the principles of sustainable development and Local Agenda 21, to mediate disputes between residents or with other internal or external parties as well as communicating with other stakeholders.

The challenges, of course are numerous. Residents Association has to forge close partnership and create mutual understanding with the JMC and to improve their leadership, management and resource capacity.

Conflict between JMC and RA is expected as both might have different opinions over the approaches and mechanism of running programmes in the Condominium and Apartment. It is unavoidable. However, if those involve fully understand that sustainable development and LA 21 is a social responsibility and that every one has the responsibility to act locally for the global concerns, then the conflict can be marginalised for greater impact.