The Selangor state government has disclosed a significant governance gap affecting more than 310 residential strata schemes across the region, with approximately 35,817 individual units operating in the absence of properly constituted joint management bodies (JMBs) or management corporations (MCs). This structural vacuum leaves thousands of homeowners without formal mechanisms to coordinate maintenance, collect fees, or enforce standards for shared common areas—a situation that Selangor housing and culture committee chairman Datuk Borhan Aman Shah attributes to a confluence of practical and behavioural challenges that have accumulated over time.

According to Borhan, the principal obstacles preventing the establishment of these essential governance structures revolve around the collection of maintenance fees from residents, organisational weaknesses in how such bodies function, and a widespread deficit in owner awareness regarding their legal and practical obligations to participate in maintaining communal spaces. These interconnected factors create a downward spiral: without effective management structures, common areas deteriorate, owners become reluctant to pay fees, and the absence of revenue further prevents any organised response. The lack of a functioning JMB or MC also removes accountability mechanisms and professional oversight that typically prevent mismanagement and fraud.

During the Selangor state assembly sitting held at Bangunan Dewan Negeri Selangor in Shah Alam on August 12, Borhan outlined the state government's comprehensive strategy to address this systemic problem through both immediate intervention and longer-term structural reforms. The administration intends to substantially tighten enforcement of the Strata Management Act (SMA) 2013, which currently appears to lack consistent application across the state. This legislative framework, enacted over a decade ago, provides the regulatory foundation for establishing and overseeing these management bodies, yet its enforcement has evidently fallen short of requirements.

The state's corrective approach encompasses capacity-building initiatives designed to enhance the operational effectiveness of existing JMBs and MCs. Training programmes, specialised courses, and structured engagement sessions will equip committee members with better financial management skills and operational knowledge. Such training is particularly crucial given that many property owners serving on these bodies lack formal experience in governance, budgeting, or facilities management. By raising professional standards among those already operating management bodies, the state aims to create a virtuous cycle where well-managed properties attract better cooperation from residents and higher fee compliance.

Beyond internal strengthening, the Selangor government plans to launch targeted awareness campaigns directed at property owners, emphasising their responsibilities and the benefits of organised management. These public education efforts will seek to shift cultural attitudes towards residential governance, moving beyond the perception that participation in JMB or MC affairs is voluntary or optional. Additionally, the state intends to introduce a star-rating system that ranks buildings based on management efficiency and maintenance standards—a mechanism designed to create competitive pressure and incentivise better governance practices among strata schemes.

The disclosure emerged during an assembly query by Rajiv Rishyakaran, the PH assemblyman representing Bukit Gasing, who pressed the government to not only identify problematic schemes but also explain why the Commissioner of Buildings (COB) had not more aggressively deployed powers under the SMA to appoint professional property agents to assume management of persistently dysfunctional properties. This line of questioning reflects growing frustration among legislators regarding passive regulatory enforcement.

Borhan acknowledged that a dedicated action committee had already been convened to tackle the issue systematically, indicating that the state recognises the urgency and complexity of the situation. He explained that formation failures often stem from developer handover complications and inter-owner disputes that require authoritative external intervention by COBs rather than voluntary action. These scenarios typically involve contested developer-owner relationships, unclear title transfers, or fundamental disagreements among residents that prevent consensus on establishing management structures.

The role of the Commissioner of Buildings emerges as potentially central to unlocking stuck situations. Under the SMA, COBs possess statutory authority to mandate professional management of problematic strata schemes when voluntary arrangements collapse, though exercising this power requires documented evidence of dysfunction and formal procedures. Borhan indicated that COBs are increasingly engaged in this intervention role, suggesting a recent escalation in cases requiring such enforcement action.

For Malaysian property owners and residents associations, this situation underscores the critical importance of establishing functional JMBs or MCs early in a property's lifecycle. The absence of such structures does not merely create administrative inconvenience—it leaves common property vulnerable to deterioration, safety hazards, and potential legal complications. Selangor's experience with over 310 schemes managing without proper governance bodies serves as a cautionary tale about the challenges of retrofitting management systems into mature residential complexes.

The implications extend beyond individual buildings to municipal services and public safety. Properties without effective management often become eyesores that depress surrounding property values and erode neighbourhood quality. Uncoordinated maintenance of utilities, drainage, and fire safety systems in such buildings creates broader risks affecting adjacent properties and the wider community. Moreover, the financial costs of addressing long-term deterioration in unmaintained properties typically far exceed the preventive maintenance fees that would have been collected through functioning JMBs.

Selangor's multi-pronged strategy reflects a realistic acknowledgment that no single intervention will resolve the problem. Strengthened legislative enforcement, capacity-building for existing bodies, public education, and potentially more aggressive appointment of professional managers may collectively move the needle on this entrenched issue. However, success ultimately depends on shifting property owner attitudes towards viewing maintenance fees and governance participation not as unnecessary burdens but as essential investments in property value and community quality of life.