KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 9 — Joint Management Bodies (JMBs) have the authority to regulate pet ownership in condominiums and apartments, but this power should not be interpreted as an absolute right to arbitrarily impose a ban on owners keeping animals in their private residential units.
Lawyer and partner at Messrs Akram Hizri Azad & Azmir, Muhammad Akram Abdul Aziz, said the jurisdiction of JMBs under the Strata Management Act 2013 (Act 757) was subject to statutory by-laws and could not contradict existing statutory provisions.
“JMBs indeed have the authority to regulate, but such regulation cannot be used as a licence to impose a blanket ban on all animal ownership,” he told Bernama.
Concurring with this view, lawyer Ivan Ong Hong Bin of Messrs Ivan Gan & Liaw said enforcement action could only be taken if there was clear evidence that the animals concerned caused a nuisance, posed a safety threat or affected the health of other residents.
