Why a Management Committee Exists

An MCST — which can comprise hundreds or even thousands of lot owners — cannot practically govern itself through a full general meeting on every operational question. The BMSMA therefore provides for the election of a management committee, a smaller group drawn from among the subsidiary proprietors, which is authorised to make decisions on behalf of the MCST between general meetings. The management committee derives its authority from the MCST, is answerable to it at general meetings, and cannot exercise powers that the Act reserves for the full body of subsidiary proprietors.

Composition and Size

Under the BMSMA, the management committee must consist of not fewer than three and not more than fourteen members. The exact number is determined by the MCST at its annual general meeting (AGM). In practice, most committees in medium-to-large developments have between five and nine members.

Only individuals who are subsidiary proprietors of lots in the development, or authorised representatives of corporate owners, are eligible to stand. A subsidiary proprietor who is in arrears on contributions for more than one month is disqualified from nomination until the arrears are cleared. The same disqualification applies to any person convicted of an offence under the BMSMA within the preceding five years.

Elections at the AGM

Management committee elections are held at the AGM. Nominations may be submitted in writing before the meeting or proposed from the floor. Voting is by show of hands or, if requested by at least three members entitled to vote, by poll. Each subsidiary proprietor's vote in a committee election counts once per lot, irrespective of share value.

If the number of valid nominations does not exceed the number of vacancies, the nominated persons are deemed elected without a vote. Where there are more candidates than vacancies, those receiving the highest number of votes fill the positions in descending order.

Office Holders: Chairman, Secretary, and Treasurer

At its first meeting following the AGM, the newly elected management committee must appoint three office holders from among its members:

Chairman

Presides at committee and general meetings, exercises a casting vote in the event of a tie, and is the primary signatory on official MCST correspondence and contracts.

Secretary

Responsible for issuing notices, recording minutes, maintaining the strata roll, filing returns with the Commissioner of Buildings, and managing the MCST's correspondence.

Treasurer

Maintains the MCST's financial records, issues contribution notices, oversees banking arrangements, prepares financial statements, and reports on the fund positions at the AGM.

What the Committee Can Decide Independently

The management committee acts for the MCST in all matters not reserved for decision by the body of subsidiary proprietors at a general meeting. In practical terms, this means the committee handles operational management including:

  • Engaging and supervising managing agents, contractors, and service providers
  • Approving routine expenditure within the approved budget
  • Issuing subsidiary proprietors with notices of contribution and arrears
  • Enforcing by-laws and dealing with minor breaches
  • Responding to renovation permit applications
  • Investing surplus management and sinking fund moneys in approved instruments
  • Maintaining insurance coverage on common property

Matters Requiring General Meeting Approval

Certain decisions under the BMSMA must be made by the full MCST at a general meeting. These include:

  • Levying a special contribution to fund an expenditure not covered in the approved budget
  • Authorising expenditure on improvement to common property exceeding $500 per lot
  • Making, amending, or repealing by-laws (special resolution)
  • Granting a subsidiary proprietor exclusive use of common property for more than one year
  • Applying to the STB for orders concerning collective sale or development matters
  • Approving the annual budget submitted by the committee
"The management committee may not, except with the approval of the management corporation at a general meeting, authorise any expenditure that exceeds the amount specified in the annual budget for that item by more than 10% or $1,000, whichever is the lesser." — BMSMA, Section 61(4)

Committee Meetings and Quorum

The management committee must meet at least once every three months. Meetings may be held in person, by telephone, or by video conference. A quorum is a majority of the members. Minutes of every committee meeting must be kept by the secretary and made available for inspection by any subsidiary proprietor on request.

Accountability and Removal

Management committee members owe a duty to act in the interests of the MCST as a whole. A management committee member may be removed before the next AGM by ordinary resolution at an EGM. Any subsidiary proprietor or group holding at least 25% of the share values has the right to requisition an EGM. If the management committee fails to convene the meeting within 14 days, the requisitioning subsidiary proprietors may convene it themselves.

Managing agents and the committee relationship: Most mid-to-large MCSTs engage a licensed managing agent under the BMSMA. The managing agent carries out day-to-day administrative tasks under the direction of the management committee — the agent does not replace the committee and cannot exercise the committee's statutory powers.

Conflicts of Interest

Where a committee member has a direct or indirect pecuniary interest in a matter being considered at a committee meeting, the BMSMA requires that member to disclose the nature of the interest and abstain from voting. The disclosure must be recorded in the minutes. Failure to disclose a material conflict of interest can constitute grounds for removal from the committee.

Last reviewed and updated: 15 March 2026. Information is based on the BMSMA as amended through the Building Maintenance and Strata Management (Amendment) Act 2020. For current legislative text, consult the Singapore Statutes Online portal.