JMB Office Bearers
Chairman, Secretary & Treasurer (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 →

The Joint Management Body (JMB) is run day-to-day by its elected committee — the Joint Management Committee (JMC). Within the JMC, three people hold the offices that determine whether the building is well-governed or not. Understanding these roles — and how to fill them with capable, accountable people — is one of the most important things parcel owners can do. For a broader overview of the JMB structure, see our JMB complete guide →.

How office bearers are elected from the JMC

The office bearers are not directly elected by all parcel owners at the AGM — they are elected by the Joint Management Committee from among its own members after the committee is elected at the AGM.

The process in practice:

1. At the AGM, parcel owners elect the members of the JMC by vote.
2. The newly elected JMC then meets (often immediately after the AGM) to elect the three office bearers: Chairman, Secretary, and Treasurer.
3. Each office bearer must be a member of the JMC — they cannot be appointed from outside the committee.
4. The election of office bearers is typically by show of hands or simple majority of JMC members present.
5. Office bearers hold their positions until the next AGM, when the JMC is re-elected and the process repeats.

A JMC member can hold more than one office only in exceptional circumstances — for example, if the committee has too few members. This is a governance risk and should be avoided where possible. For details on how the JMC is constituted, see JMB responsibilities & duties →.

The Chairman: role and duties

The Chairman is the public face and meeting chair of the JMB. In governance terms, the Chairman sets the tone for how the committee operates and how owners are treated.

Core duties of the Chairman:

• Chairing all meetings — the AGM, EGM, and regular committee meetings. The Chairman controls the agenda, recognises speakers, manages debate, and calls votes.
• Casting vote — in the event of a tied vote at a committee meeting, the Chairman typically has a casting (deciding) vote. Confirm the procedure in your specific by-laws or rules.
• Signing authority — the Chairman often co-signs formal committee resolutions, contracts, and correspondence that require senior authorisation.
• Representing the JMB externally — to the Commissioner of Buildings (COB), contractors, government agencies, and in any legal or regulatory matter. See JMB registration with the COB →.
• Ensuring good governance — the Chairman is responsible for ensuring meetings are properly conducted, quorum is met, and resolutions are lawfully passed.
• Liaising with the managing agent — if the JMB has appointed a managing agent, the Chairman is the primary point of contact and oversight.

A strong Chairman keeps meetings focused and on time, ensures all committee members have a voice, and prevents any single member (including themselves) from dominating decisions.

The Secretary: role and duties

The Secretary is the record-keeper and communications hub of the JMB. Without a diligent Secretary, meetings are disorganised, notices go out late, and the committee is exposed to legal challenge.

Core duties of the Secretary:

• Convening meetings — preparing and distributing notice of the AGM, EGM, and committee meetings within the required timelines, with the correct agenda and supporting documents.
• Recording and keeping minutes — accurate minutes of every meeting, including all resolutions passed, must be prepared, circulated to committee members for confirmation, and kept as part of the JMB’s statutory records.
• Managing correspondence — all formal letters, notices, and communications to parcel owners, the COB, contractors, and other parties are typically prepared or overseen by the Secretary.
• Maintaining registers and records — the JMB is required under the Strata Management Act 2013 to maintain various registers (including an owners register). The Secretary is responsible for keeping these up to date. See strata forms & registers →.
• Filing and compliance — ensuring that required notices and filings with the COB are submitted on time.
• Custodian of documents — the Secretary holds (or ensures management holds) all key JMB documents: by-laws, contracts, insurance policies, COB correspondence, bank mandates, and meeting records.

In a well-run JMB, the Secretary issues clear, properly structured meeting notices well in advance and ensures that minutes are agreed and filed within a reasonable time after each meeting.

The Treasurer: role and duties

The Treasurer is the financial guardian of the JMB. Given that the JMB controls the maintenance account and sinking fund on behalf of all owners, the Treasurer’s role carries significant fiduciary responsibility.

Core duties of the Treasurer:

• Overseeing the maintenance account and sinking fund — the JMB must maintain two separate accounts: a maintenance account (for day-to-day operating expenses) and a sinking fund account (for periodic and major works). Both must be properly operated and not commingled.
• Monitoring collections — tracking Charges and sinking-fund contributions collected from parcel owners, and identifying defaulters for follow-up action. See handling service-charge defaulters →.
• Authorising payments — the Treasurer typically co-signs or approves payments from the JMB’s accounts, acting as a financial control alongside the Chairman or another authorised signatory.
• Preparing and presenting financial statements — the Treasurer must ensure that proper accounts are maintained, presented at each AGM, and submitted for audit as required by the Act.
• Budget preparation — working with the managing agent (if any) and committee to prepare the annual budget, which is presented for approval at the AGM.
• Insurance oversight — ensuring the building’s fire and public-liability insurance policies are current and adequate. Under the SMA 2013, the JMB has a statutory duty to effect insurance on the building.

The Treasurer should never allow a single individual (including the managing agent) to have sole control of JMB funds. Dual-signatory requirements and regular bank reconciliations are essential safeguards. For more on the financial duties, see maintenance fee & sinking fund →.

Office bearers roles comparison

Accountability and conflict of interest

All three office bearers — and indeed all JMC members — are accountable to the parcel owners as a whole. Key principles:

• Fiduciary duty — office bearers must act in the interests of all owners, not for personal gain. Decisions that benefit an office bearer personally (or their associates) without full disclosure and proper process are a serious governance failure.
• Conflict of interest — if an office bearer has a personal or financial interest in a matter before the committee (for example, a contract being awarded to a company they own), they should declare the conflict, abstain from the discussion and vote, and have the declaration recorded in the minutes.
• Transparency — financial decisions, especially payments above a reasonable threshold, should require at least two signatures and be documented in the committee minutes.
• Owners’ right to information — parcel owners may request to inspect JMB accounts, minutes, and registers. Office bearers should not obstruct reasonable requests.

If owners believe an office bearer is acting improperly, they can requisition an EGM to remove them, or escalate to the COB. See JMB problems & disputes → for more on remedies.

Casual vacancies and removal of office bearers

A casual vacancy arises when an office bearer resigns, becomes incapacitated, or is removed before the end of their term. In most cases:

• The remaining JMC members can elect a replacement from among themselves to fill the vacancy for the remainder of the term.
• If the office bearer is also a JMC member and that seat becomes vacant, the committee may co-opt a replacement, subject to any rules in the Regulations.
• The committee cannot function below a quorum — if vacancies reduce the committee below the required minimum, an EGM may need to be called to fill the seats.

An office bearer can be removed by a vote of the JMC (for loss of confidence within the committee) or by the general body of owners at an EGM. For the full process of changing or removing the committee, see strata management committee guide →.

Office bearers and the managing agent

Many JMBs appoint a managing agent to handle day-to-day operations. When a managing agent is in place, the office bearers’ roles shift from operational to oversight:

• The Chairman oversees the managing agent’s performance and is the primary point of escalation for major issues.
• The Secretary ensures that the managing agent provides complete meeting papers, notices, and records as required, and does not allow the agent to shortcut the statutory notice requirements.
• The Treasurer should independently review the financial reports and bank statements provided by the managing agent and should not delegate the financial-oversight function entirely to the agent.

The managing agent is a service provider, not a principal. Ultimate authority and accountability rest with the elected committee and its office bearers. For the pros and cons of appointing a managing agent, see managing agent vs self-managed →.

Good-practice tips for each office bearer

Common mistakes office bearers make

• Not keeping meeting minutes — unrecorded decisions are unenforceable and expose the committee to challenge. Every meeting must have minutes.
• Single signatory on accounts — allowing one person (including the managing agent) to move money unilaterally is the single biggest fraud risk in JMB governance.
• Ignoring conflicts of interest — awarding contracts to related parties without disclosure and an independent decision process is a serious breach of duty.
• Letting the AGM lapse — failing to convene the AGM within the required period is a breach of the Strata Management Act 2013 and can lead to COB intervention.
• Not updating the owners register — an outdated register means notices go to the wrong people and the committee has no reliable contact list.

Summary: who handles what at a glance