Am I personally liable for company debts as a director?
Generally no — the company's debts are the company's, which is the point of limited liability. The honest list of exceptions: personal guarantees you sign (banks almost always ask), fraudulent or wrongful trading, unpaid statutory obligations like EPF and tax withholdings, and corporate liability offences such as Section 17A corruption. Run the company properly and the shield holds.
Statutory figures: Companies Act 2016 MACC Act s.17A
Also asked as: director personal liability; can they sue director personally; hutang syarikat pengarah tanggung ke; limited liability exceptions.
The most common way SME directors become personally liable isn't exotic law — it's the personal guarantee on the financing. Read it before signing; that clause outlives your directorship.
Key facts
- Default: liability capped at the company
- Exceptions: guarantees, fraud/wrongful trading, statutory arrears, s.17A
- Personal guarantees = the common trap