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LOOKING back at the past year, quite a number of worldwide election results have caught many by surprise.
Regardless of the reasons that they may have, the outcome of these elections turned out to be good testimonials that every vote counts.
The same principle applies to all forms of elections, including voting on issues in relation to the strata properties that we own or invest in.
Many homeowners do not realise the importance of them attending the AGMs and EGMs, to vote on property management issues that affect the living environment and investment value of their properties. Often than not, all important decisions lie in the hands of only 10% to 15% of homeowners who turned up for these meetings.
Many homeowners would later complain that their properties are not well managed, thereby affecting the value of their properties. Sadly, most of their complaints or concerns can be decided at such meetings by the stakeholders such as themselves.
It is therefore crucial that all homeowners take an active role to preserve their living environment and investment, by exercising their voting rights even by proxy votes at AGMs and EGMs. You need to know the integrity of the person you gave the proxy vote to, and that is part of responsible voting.
Similar to how we get ourselves prepared for meetings at our workplace, attending AGMs and EGMs required the same preparation as well. Usually, the AGM agenda and account information will be issued to all homeowners two to four weeks prior to AGM. Homeowners are advised to go through the details, ask questions and get clarification from their Management Office before the AGM. If they have additional motion to raise, it can be done within 1 week prior to the meeting.
AGMs can be efficiently conducted within 1 to 2 hours if homeowners read through the agenda in advance. It was no surprise to me when I heard of one of the condominiums that had their recent AGM for nearly five hours due to misconducts from attendees. There were even stories of quarrelling and fighting at some AGMs, which did not help in achieving the objectives of the meetings.
An ill-mannered meeting is detrimental to decision making. It is important for all parties to express their opinion with decorum and respect, and work together for the betterment of the project and the community.
In addition to voting on important issues, homeowners would also be able to elect their Management Corporation (MC) representatives during the AGMs.
In most cases, the annual budget for maintenance plus the total amount in the sinking fund could come up to hundreds of thousand or even millions of ringgit after a few years. Homeowners need to ensure they have trustworthy people in the MC committee to look after their interests.
Before the election, a knowledge of the background of the committee members can be beneficial to all residents. It helps to ensure that the committee members are of good standing and have homeowners’ interest as their priority.
A homeowner who wishes to be elected as a MC member should not involve in any form of offence or police cases. It would be ideal if a law could be incorporated whereby it shall be an offence for anyone who has criminal record to be elected as a MC member.
Strata living is about community living. All homeowners jointly own the common areas and facilities. Hence, decision made at AGMs and EGMs affects every homeowners and residents. As highlighted at the beginning of this article, every vote counts in an election.
It would be meaningless to complain about the management of properties if the homeowners themselves do not exercise their rights in a proper manner in the first place.
For homeowners, finding an ideal home is just the start of the journey. To ensure a good living environment and to protect our investment, we must be participative in the management of our properties, especially when we are staying in strata properties.
Datuk Alan Tong has over 50 years of experience in property development. He was the World President of FIABCI International for 2005/2006 and awarded the Property Man of the Year 2010 at FIABCI Malaysia Property Award. He is also the group chairman of Bukit Kiara Properties. For feedback, please email feedback@fiabci-asiapacific.com.
Read more at http://www.thestar.com.my/business/business-news/2017/05/13/exercising-your-right-to-vote/#SbkJB6C8P32uFRcc.99
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