THE SEBERANG Perai City Council (MBSP) has authorised a group of unit owners at The Summit BM Plaza to convene a meeting to form a new Management Corporation (MC), in a move aimed at resolving long-standing management disputes at the complex.
MBSP said its Commissioner of Buildings (COB) had issued a letter of authority to one of the owners to hold an annual general meeting (AGM) or extraordinary general meeting (EGM) to establish the MC, following a recent memorandum from owners, traders and tenants.
“Checks by the COB in August found that the financial records of the Joint Management Body (JMB) were incomplete, while the 2023 and 2024 audited accounts have yet to be submitted.
“Verification with the Penang Land and Mines Office also confirmed that more than 28% of unit shares have changed hands, qualifying the building for the establishment of a Management Corporation.
“Although the developer was reminded to convene an AGM, no response was received,” MBSP said in a statement.
The council said it expects the move to help resolve the complex’s management issues, with continued oversight from MBSP.
The memorandum that prompted the intervention, submitted on Oct 3, was signed by about 80 owners, traders and tenants representing businesses within the mall. They appealed for the existing JMB to step down and for the authorities to restore proper governance of the building.
In their submission, the group cited several key concerns, including unpaid utility bills that led to the disconnection of electricity supply in 2024 and prolonged malfunctions of public facilities such as lifts, escalators and air-conditioning.
They urged the COB to appoint an independent auditor to review the JMB’s financial records and to take enforcement action for non-compliance with the Act and with previous Strata Tribunal rulings.
Built in 1997, The Summit BM Plaza on Jalan Arumugam Pillai was once a key retail landmark in Bukit Mertajam, featuring a four-storey shopping podium and hotel blocks. The hotel has since been repurposed as temporary labour quarters.
Under the Strata Management Act, a JMB manages common property jointly between a developer and owners until strata titles are issued and at least 25% of units have changed hands, after which management must be transferred to an MC comprising only the owners.
