Mall unit owners brace for showdown with JMB, says report

PETALING JAYA (Oct 24): A showdown is on the cards between unit owners of the Galaxy Ampang Mall (pictured) and current joint management body (JMB) members at the general meeting (AGM) tomorrow, reported the news portal Free Malaysia Today (FMT) today.

“The owners are ready for a vote of no confidence at the AGM against the JMB members and the management. We encourage all owners to come personally to vote for change,” spokesperson for the owners Zara Davies told FMT.

FMT reported her saying that the unit owners of the Galaxy Ampang Mall were unhappy with the management company, Castle Vision Global Management Sdn Bhd (CVGM), “despite getting the support of JMB chairman Yap Kim Ching”.

She said owners did not know of Yap’s appointment as JMB chairman or CVGM’s 10-year management contract as they did not receive notices for the AGMs.

However, Yap told FMT AGM notices were sent out every year.

Davies also questioned the decision to close the JMB bank account with CIMB in 2015.

“We want to know where the money collected by the mall’s management has gone if not the JMB account,” the news portal reported her saying.

Yap countered by saying that the JMB bank account was only temporarily inactive and is currently being used to collect maintenance monies.

Davies also said that the JMB had not submitted any audited accounts but Yap explained that the mall’s audited accounts were produced yearly and shared with the unit owners.

“During the AGMs, the majority of owners are satisfied with audited accounts and they can always come to the office and check.

“I’m also an owner so I too want to see the mall succeed. Whoever can manage it well, that is important to me,” Yap told FMT.

Ampang Jaya Municipal Council (MPAJ) and its commissioner of buildings (COB) have also been caught in the crossfire, with Davies saying that “they ignored emails from owners over the two-year delay in the issuance of strata titles and the lack of proper record of owners with the land office”.

A MPAJ spokesperson told FMT that the council had responded to the emails, while an investigation has been launched by the housing and local government ministry.