Condo man dominated AGM with 80 proxies

June 26, 2007

Condo man dominated AGM with 80 proxies


RECENTLY I attended the AGM of the condominium where I live and was appalled by the proceedings.

Many resolutions were put up for consideration. When it was time to vote, we found out that one subsidiary proprietor had garnered more than 80 proxies. These proxies amounted to over 200 share-value votes. With the number of residents present at the AGM, it was clear that this resident could practically decide on issues as he was holding the majority of votes.

He practically decided all resolutions put forward, and was even able to determine the composition of the next council.

I would like to seek clarification from the Building and Construction Authority on this matter.

Lau Wah Yuen

July 4, 2007

Exercise due care when voting via proxy


I REFER to Mr Lau Wah Yuen's letter, 'Condo man dominated AGM with 80 proxies' (ST, June 26).

The Building Maintenance and Strata Management Act empowers unit owners to decide and vote on motions tabled at general meetings of the management corporation (MC), either personally or by duly appointed proxies. Where voting is concerned, it is best that owners participate in the decision-making process of the MC by personally attending the general meetings.

However, if an owner is unable to attend a general meeting and wishes to cast his vote through a proxy, he should exercise due care in doing so as the collective decisions made at the meeting will eventually affect his own interest.

Condominium unit owners can refer to our guide, Strata Living In Singapore, which is available on our website, www.bca.gov.sg, to better understand their rights and responsibilities.

We urge all owners to vote with care, whether in person or via proxy, to the best of their interests.

We thank Mr Lau for his feedback and will take it into consideration in our future review of the Act.

Wong Wai Ching
Commissioner of Buildings
Building and Construction Authority