The Commissioner of Buildings lacks authority under the Strata Management Act to postpone Annual General Meetings, which is reserved for the State Authority, reinforcing strict statutory interpretation principles.

Faizah Jamaludin J:

JUDGMENT

INTRODUCTION

[1]This is an appeal by the Pesuruhjaya Bangunan Kawasan Pentadbiran Majlis Bandaraya Pulau Pinang, who is Commissioner of Buildings for the local authority area under the jurisdiction of Majlis Bandaraya Pulau Pinang (“appellant”/ “MBPP-COB”) against part of the Order issued by the Pulau Pinang High Courton 03.04.2023 (the “Order”) in Judicial Review Application No. PA-25-39-08/2022.

[2]The respondent is Perbadanan Pengurusan Mar Vista Resort. It is the management corporation of a subdivided building known as the Mar Vista Resort (“respondent”/ “Mar Vista MC”): it was formed under the Strata Titles Act 1985 (Act 318) (“ STA 1985”). The Mar Vista MC was the applicant in the judicial review proceeding before the Pulau Pinang High Court.

[3]The appellant is appealing against paragraphs (b) and (c) of the Order, where the High Court declared that the decisions made by the appellant in his letters dated 07.06.2022 (“Impugned Decision No. 1”) and 30.06.2022 (“Impugned Decision No. 2”) are invalid, not in accordance with the law and void. Paragraphs (b) and (c) of the Order are reproduced below:

b) Satu deklarasi bahawa keputusan Responden melalui suratnya bertarikh 07.06.2022 yang menyatakan bahawa tiada sebarang peruntukan dalam Akta Pengurusan Strata 2013 yang memberi kuasa kepada Responden untuk memberikan penangguhan kepada Mesyuarat Agung Tahunan adalah tidak sah, tidak menurut undang-undang dan terbatal;

c) Satu deklarasi bahawa keputusan Responden melalui suratnya bertarikh 30.06.2022 yang menyatakan bahawa tiada sebarang peruntukan dalam Akta Pengurusan Strata 2013 yang memberi kuasa kepada Responden untuk memberikan penangguhan kepada Mesyuarat Agung Tahunan adalah tidak sah, tidak menurut undang-undang dan terbatal;

Impugned Decision No. 1

[4]On 01.06.2022, the respondent wrote to the appellant requesting a postponement of its 8^th annual general meeting (“AGM”) for a period of 12 months because a fight had broken out during the 8^th AGM on 22.05.2022.

[5]In Impugned Decision No. 1, the appellant informed the respondent that he is unable to grant the respondent’s application for an extension of time to convene its AGM because there are no provisions in the Strata Management Act (“ SMA 2013”), which empowers the COB to allow for the postponement of general meetings. The appellant ordered the respondent to call for its AGM within one month from the date of the letter. Paragraphs 3, 4, and 5 of Impugned Decision No. 1 are reproduced below:

3. Untuk makluman, tiada sebarang peruntukan pada Akta Pengurusan Strata 2013 (Akta 757) yang memberikan kuasa kepada pihak Pesuruhjaya Bangunan untuk memberikan penangguhan kepada mesyuarat agung. Oleh itu, pihak kami tidak dapat memberikan sebarang penangguhan kepada mana-mana mesyuarat agung.

4. Sehubungan itu, pihak tuan hendaklah mengadakan mesyuarat agung tahunan sebagaimana yang telah dinyatakan pada Perenggan 10 Jadual Kedua Akta 757. Kegagalan mengadakan mesyuarat agung tahunan boleh diambil tindakan mengikut Peraturan 34(2) pada Peraturan-Peraturan Pengurusan Strata (Penyenggaraan dan Pengurusan) 2015.

5. Oleh yang demikian, pihak tuan diarahkan untuk memanggil Mesyuarat Agung Tahunan dalam tempoh satu (1) bulan dari tarikh surat ini.

Impugned Decision No. 2

[6]In a follow-up letter dated 22.06.2022, the respondent repeated its request for an adjournment of its 8^th AGM to the appellant f