How to Change or Remove a JMB
/ Its Committee (Malaysia)

General guidance for 2026 — not legal advice. The Strata Management Act 2013 and its 2015 Regulations govern this; confirm specifics with your Commissioner of Buildings (COB) or a strata lawyer. Need strata repair/maintenance help? Ask us →

A JMB committee serves until the next AGM — that is the natural reset point. But situations arise where owners need faster change: a committee that refuses to act, a managing agent that is failing, or a single member whose conduct is causing harm. This guide maps every route available to owners under the Strata Management Act 2013 (Act 757). For background on the JMB’s role, see our JMB complete guide →.

Changing the committee at the AGM

The Annual General Meeting (AGM) is the primary democratic mechanism for changing the Joint Management Committee (JMC). At every AGM:

• The existing committee’s term ends and a new committee is elected.
• Any eligible owner (or their representative) may nominate themselves or another eligible person for the committee.
• Voting is weighted by share units — owners with more share units carry more votes.
• Owners who are in arrears of Charges or sinking-fund contributions are generally not entitled to vote; confirm with your COB.

If dissatisfied owners can organise enough share-unit support before the AGM, they can elect an entirely new committee without any special procedure. The key is preparation: identify candidates, communicate with other owners, and ensure supporters attend or appoint proxies.

For details on how the AGM and election process works, see strata AGM meetings →.

Who can stand for election to the JMC

Under the SMA 2013 framework, JMC members are generally parcel owners or their proxies/representatives. Practical eligibility points:

• The nominee should be a registered owner of a parcel in the building, or a duly authorised representative of such an owner (e.g., a company director representing a corporate owner).
• A person in arrears of Charges may be ineligible to stand — confirm the exact rule with your COB.
• A person with a conflict of interest (e.g., a director of the building’s managing agent company) should be transparent about that conflict; in some cases eligibility may be affected.
• The committee then elects from among itself a Chairman, Secretary, and Treasurer as office bearers. See JMB office bearers guide →.

Requisitioning an EGM to remove a committee member

If a committee member needs to be removed between AGMs, owners may requisition an Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM). The EGM can pass a resolution to remove a specific committee member or the entire committee. It can also pass a resolution to change the managing agent.

An EGM can be requisitioned by owners holding the required share of aggregate share units (the precise threshold is set in the Regulations — confirm the current figure with your COB or refer to our EGM guide →). The requisition must be in writing, state the purpose of the meeting, and be delivered to the committee.

The EGM process step by step

1. Confirm the threshold — check how many aggregate share units are needed to requisition the EGM under the Regulations for your scheme. Confirm with the COB if unsure.
2. Organise the requisitionists — collect written support from enough owners to meet the threshold. Each owner should sign the requisition letter.
3. Draft the written requisition — clearly state the purpose (e.g., "To consider and if thought fit, pass a resolution to remove [Name] from the Joint Management Committee") and deliver it to the committee.
4. Committee must convene the EGM — once a valid requisition is received, the committee is obliged to call the meeting within the prescribed period. If it refuses, the requisitionists may be entitled to convene it themselves — confirm with the COB.
5. Issue proper notice — all parcel owners must receive adequate advance notice of the EGM and the agenda items.
6. Vote at the EGM — the resolution is passed or defeated by the votes of eligible owners present or by proxy.

Replacing or appointing a managing agent

The JMB may appoint a managing agent to handle day-to-day management on its behalf. The committee can also decide to replace an underperforming managing agent — or owners can pass a resolution at an AGM or EGM to do so. Key considerations:

• Check the existing managing agent’s contract terms — notice period, termination for cause, and handover obligations.
• The managing agent holds keys, access cards, financial records, and contracts on behalf of the JMB. A proper handover checklist is essential when changing agents.
• Run a competitive selection process for the replacement — obtain at least three proposals and check references from comparable properties.
• The new appointment should be ratified at a general meeting or by committee resolution (depending on the scope of authority delegated to the committee). See managing agent vs self-managed strata →.

Use the table below to track the handover from an outgoing managing agent to the incoming one:

Filling casual vacancies on the committee

When a committee member resigns, becomes disqualified, or is removed between AGMs, a casual vacancy arises. The remaining committee members may co-opt an eligible owner to fill the vacancy until the next AGM. The co-option should be recorded in the committee minutes. If the vacancy leaves the committee without a quorum to act, the situation becomes more urgent and may require an EGM to elect replacement members.

When the JMB is non-functioning or mismanaged

Some JMBs are effectively non-functioning: the developer never convened the first AGM, the committee has stopped meeting, funds are unaccounted for, or management has broken down entirely. In these situations, owners have stronger remedies:

• Complaint to the COB — the Commissioner of Buildings has powers under the SMA 2013 to investigate complaints about a JMB and, where justified, to intervene (including appointing a managing agent) to restore proper management.
• Strata Management Tribunal — owners can file a claim for orders requiring the JMB to perform its duties, account for funds, or take specific management actions.
• Legal action — in serious cases (fraud, gross negligence causing loss), civil court proceedings may be appropriate; take legal advice.

For a full breakdown of problems and remedies, see JMB problems & disputes →.

Escalating to the Commissioner of Buildings

The COB is the frontline regulator for strata management at each local authority. Complaints to the COB should:

• Be in writing, clearly stating the facts, the specific problem, and what you are asking the COB to do.
• Be supported by evidence: AGM minutes (or lack thereof), correspondence, financial records, photos of neglected common property.
• Identify the strata scheme by name, address, and strata title particulars where available.

The COB can require the JMB to convene meetings, produce accounts, or take specific management actions. In serious cases, the COB can appoint a managing agent to take over management. Find your COB at the local authority (Majlis Perbandaran or Dewan Bandaraya) for your building’s location. See strata management complaints guide →.

Strata Management Tribunal remedies

The Strata Management Tribunal adjudicates disputes between strata owners, JMBs, and MCs. Relevant orders it can make include:

• An order requiring the management body to perform a specific duty (e.g., convene an AGM, produce audited accounts, carry out repair works).
• An order for payment of money (e.g., recovery of misappropriated funds, compensation for loss caused by management failure).
• Declarations about the rights and obligations of parties.

The Tribunal is generally faster and cheaper than the civil courts for qualifying strata disputes. See Strata Management Tribunal guide →.

JMB dissolution: when the MC takes over

The JMB is an interim body. Once strata titles are issued and the Management Corporation (MC) comes into existence (on the opening of the strata register/strata roll), the developer is obliged to convene the first AGM of the MC. At that point:

• The JMB is automatically dissolved.
• All funds (maintenance account, sinking fund), records, contracts, keys, and documents must be handed over to the MC.
• The MC’s first committee is elected at its first AGM.
• The MC is a permanent body corporate that replaces the JMB as the building’s management body.

If the developer fails to convene the MC’s first AGM or to effect the handover properly, owners can complain to the COB or file at the Tribunal. For a comparison of JMB and MC, see JMB vs MC →.

Removal and change routes compared

Practical tips for owners

• Organise before the AGM — identify candidate committee members, explain your concerns to other owners, and confirm proxy arrangements well in advance of the meeting date.
• Document everything — keep copies of AGM and EGM notices, minutes, correspondence with the committee, and financial statements. You will need these if you escalate to the COB or Tribunal.
• Stay current on maintenance charges — an owner in arrears cannot vote, which severely limits your ability to change the committee through the democratic process.
• Check the EGM threshold early — confirm with the COB how many aggregate share units are needed to requisition an EGM before you begin collecting signatures.
• Work collectively — individual complaints carry less weight than a coordinated group. A well-organised group of owners presenting a clear, evidence-based case to the COB or Tribunal is far more effective.