For a company to be legally registered in Malaysia, the law requires a specific incorporation procedure to be completed with the local Trade Register. This is the Companies Commission of Malaysia (SSM), where the main function is the company registration. However, this authority has numerous roles which you can discover in the following lines. Additionally, our Malaysian lawyers can carefully manage and oversee the business registration with the SSM.
| Short Facts | |
| Trade Register in Malaysia is known as | Companies Commission of Malaysia (SSM) |
| Status of SSM | Statutory body/ agency |
| Applicable legislation | Companies Act 2016 |
| Main responsibility/ function | Registration of business entities |
| Other essential roles of SSM | – provides access to company information, – registers business updates, – issues data analysis/reports, etc. |
| Required incorporation documents | – Articles of Association & Memorandum of Association, – proof of registered business address & paid capital, – copies of IDs/passports of shareholders, etc. |
| Standard application form | Provided by SSM. It must be completed with company details: – name, – address, – activities, – shareholders, etc. |
| Issuance of Certificate of Registration (YES/NO) | YES |
| Incorporation & administration fees | Paid at the SSM |
| Business updates that must be registered | When the company changes its: – management, – structure, – capital, – business name & address, etc. |
| Legal agent/representative for business registration | Not imposed, but recommended for foreign investors, alongside company secretary |
| Precautions | All documents must be translated and legalized when incorporating a foreign company in Malaysia. |
| Digital signatures allowed (YES/NO) | YES |
| Incorporation fee | Around RM 1,000 |
| Working with our Malaysian lawyers | We can represent customers with a power of attorney when dealing with the Companies Commission in Malaysia. |
Table of Contents
How to register a business in Malaysia with SSM
If you want to register a company in Malaysia, you must consider the following formalities:
- verify and reserve the business name, making sure it's unique;
- appoint a company secretary;
- prepare the company document;
- complete the standard application form provided by the Trade Register in Malaysia.
Once these important steps are completed, the Companies Commission in Malaysia, through its representative agents, will verify the papers, issue the required approvals, and then issue the Certificate of Registration. It is good to know that if there are missing documents, the Malaysian Trade Register will notify the applicants. In any case, we recommend that you collaborate with us for company registration in Malaysia. We can also help you if you need to open a company in another country, such as Serbia, where the time frame for incorporation is up to 3 weeks compared to Malaysia where it takes 5-10 days. You can also explore the following infographic we have prepared:
Required documents for business registration in Malaysia
Here are some of the documents required for company registration in Malaysia:
- a document showing the business name is approved (form PNA.42);
- Memorandum and Articles of Association;
- copies of the IDs/passports of shareholders;
- a Declaration of Compliance signed by the company secretary;
- a statutory declaration by the director of the firm stating that all managers meet the requirements for selection.
These are some of the most important documents that stand at the base of business registration in Malaysia. You can be represented with a power of attorney by our Malaysian lawyers at the Companies Commission in Malaysia.
What are the main roles of the Companies Commission in Malaysia?
Besides company registration in Malaysia, the SSM has other roles too. Here are some of the most important ones:
- updating company information and changes,
- applying corporate laws,
- promoting proper corporate governance in the business field in Malaysia,
- controlling the business sector,
- recording all company data and information about the existing enterprises,
- providing consulting services and information for an easy business registration process in Malaysia.
Below is a video presentation with information on the Trade Register in Malaysia:
Altering company information in Malaysia
The Companies Commission in Malaysia has multiple roles, including recording changes made to a company. For example, if a company changes its name and/or business address, this must also be done at the SSM in Malaysia. Furthermore, if a company modifies the composition of shareholders, directors, or the legal form, company representatives must notify the Malaysian Trade Register. Company dissolution is also done with the SSM, respectively, with prior notification.
Number of companies in Malaysia
Here are some statistics about the number of companies in Malaysia:
- There were over 1,086,000 small, micro, and medium enterprises in Malaysia, according to SSM data for 2024.
- Around 4,996 companies belong to foreign entrepreneurs in Malaysia.
- The data for 2024 showed that around 1,031 companies were publicly listed.
We invite you to learn more about company registration in Malaysia by contacting our specialists. The services offered by our law firm in Malaysia also include legal representation at the Trade Register in Malaysia, respectively, the Companies Commission.