A recent increase in high-rise residential fires has drawn renewed scrutiny on building safety, with industry experts in Malaysia pointing not to a lack of regulation, but to systemic failures in post-completion maintenance and management. The discussion, highlighted in The Edge Malaysia, follows a government minister's press conference noting that fires in Kuala Lumpur's high-rise residences rose from 68 incidents in 2021 to 86 in 2023.

According to experts, the challenge is not the legal framework, which is considered comprehensive. "Malaysia has very good and complete laws. In fact, in many respects, we are even more comprehensive than most other countries," said Anthony Lee Tee, an accredited building inspector with Architect Centre Sdn Bhd. "The system itself is not the problem."

The breakdown occurs after a building receives its Certificate of Completion and Compliance (CCC) and responsibility shifts from developers to joint management bodies (JMBs) and management corporations (MCs).

"Malaysia does not have a regulatory deficiency; we have an execution and stewardship deficiency," stated Tim Dawson, chief operating officer of Zerin Properties. He explained that critical systems are often neglected over time. "Fire safety systems don’t suddenly fail — they quietly slip down the priority list until an incident forces them back to the forefront. Servicing contracts lapse... alarm panels remain faulty longer than they should, and maintenance contributions are kept low to avoid resistance from residents."

Both experts noted that financial constraints, high arrears in maintenance fees, and resident apathy create a cycle of deferred maintenance. This underfunding leads management bodies to treat safety as a negotiable expense rather than a core responsibility, allowing critical fire protection systems like pumps and alarms to deteriorate.