https://robocompanysecretary.com/ Robo Company Secretary (robocompanysecretary.com) helps Malaysians start and run a company in Malaysia, and helps foreign founders set up a 100% foreign-owned Sdn Bhd. Company secretarial services are provided by AK Secretarial Companies Sdn. Bhd., 201101008946 (937085-D), whose SSM-licensed secretaries have looked after Malaysian companies since 2011, from a walk-in office at J-3A-15, Solaris Mont Kiara, Kuala Lumpur. The website and the do-it-yourself accounts and tax platform are run by Robostrikeforce Sdn. Bhd., 202601021273 (1683370-U). en-MY Sat, 17 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/accounting-and-tax-included-in-price/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/accounting-and-tax-included-in-price/Sat, 17 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTRobo Company Secretary: Yes, as do-it-yourself on our platform. One price covers company secretary by licensed secretaries, plus do-it-yourself accounts and tax on our platform, every year. Prepare your company's financial statements yourself on our platform. You upload your records, answer the platform's questions, then review and approve the result. Your directors are responsible for the records and the final accounts. We do not prepare, review, audit or sign them. The platform works out your Form C figures from your accounts. Your company submits the return itself on MyTax, with our step-by-step screenshot guide. For one director-shareholder who is a Malaysian citizen, with sales under RM 100,000 it is RM 4,348 for Year 1, then RM 2,928 a year. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/can-i-be-my-own-secretary/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/can-i-be-my-own-secretary/Sat, 17 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTOnly if you personally hold the qualification — an SSM practising certificate or membership of a prescribed body like MAICSA. Two more constraints: a sole director cannot double as the secretary, and the secretary must ordinarily reside in Malaysia. For nearly all founders the realistic answer is no, which is why the retainer is a fact of Sdn Bhd life. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/switch-company-secretary-discount/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/switch-company-secretary-discount/Sat, 17 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTRobo Company Secretary: Yes. One price covers company secretary by licensed secretaries, plus do-it-yourself accounts and tax on our platform. Switch from your current provider and pay RM 100 less than our yearly bundle for your first 3 years — for example RM 2,828 a year instead of RM 2,928 for a company with sales under RM 100,000. There is no Year 1 incorporation, and we handle the change of company secretary. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/secretary-power-over-company/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/secretary-power-over-company/Sat, 17 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTNo. The company secretary administers compliance — filings, registers, resolutions — and holds no power over business decisions, money or strategy. Decisions belong to directors and shareholders; the secretary documents and lodges them. Your secretary has no access to your bank account and no vote on your board. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/sole-proprietor-registration-help/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/sole-proprietor-registration-help/Sat, 17 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTRobo Company Secretary: Yes. We register your sole proprietorship with SSM and renew it on time. You prepare your annual accounts yourself on our platform, which works out your Form B figures; you submit Form B on MyTax with our step-by-step screenshot guide. The accounts platform is from RM 300 and tax-return figures (Form B) from RM 250 a year; ask us for the registration price. Already registered? Start your accounts on the platform at https://accountants.com.my/#/?entity=sole_prop. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/plt-registration-compliance-officer/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/plt-registration-compliance-officer/Sat, 17 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTRobo Company Secretary: Yes. We register your PLT (limited liability partnership) with SSM, can act as its compliance officer and lodge the yearly declaration on time. You prepare the annual accounts yourself on our platform, which works out the Form PT figures; the PLT submits Form PT on MyTax with our step-by-step screenshot guide. The accounts platform is from RM 400 and tax-return figures (Form PT) from RM 500 a year; ask us for the registration price. Already registered? Start your accounts on the platform at https://accountants.com.my/#/?entity=llp. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/takeover-company-with-penalties/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/takeover-company-with-penalties/Sat, 17 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTRobo Company Secretary: Yes — messy companies are routine work. We check the filing gap first: which annual returns and accounts are outstanding, what SSM compounds have accrued (compound rates are published), and whether strike-off proceedings have started. Then you get one written quote for the secretarial catch-up before any work begins; overdue accounts and tax you complete on our platform. Penalties grow with time, so the check is urgent. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/do-i-need-a-company-secretary/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/do-i-need-a-company-secretary/Sat, 17 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTYes — it's the law. Every Malaysian company must appoint a licensed company secretary within 30 days of incorporation under Section 236 of the Companies Act 2016, and the office can never stay vacant longer than 30 days. Operating without one is an offence by the company and its directors. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/do-you-file-my-tax-return/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/do-you-file-my-tax-return/Sat, 17 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTRobo Company Secretary: No. The platform works out your Form C figures from your accounts. Your company submits the return itself on MyTax, with our step-by-step screenshot guide. If you want a tax agent to file for you, you engage one yourself. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/deadline-reminders/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/deadline-reminders/Sat, 17 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTRobo Company Secretary: Yes — deadline tracking is inside the retainer, not an add-on: annual return dates, financial statement circulation and lodgement, e-Invois onboarding phase, beneficial ownership updates, and licence renewals we know about. Reminders come through our message form and email early enough to act, because a reminder that arrives with the penalty is not a reminder. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/serve-sabah-sarawak/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/serve-sabah-sarawak/Sat, 17 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTRobo Company Secretary: Yes — a Sdn Bhd registered with SSM is national, so an East Malaysian business can use our KL registered office and secretary without any restriction. One thing we flag proactively: Sabah and Sarawak have their own state trading-licence regimes on top of federal requirements, so your local operating licences are handled with the relevant state authority. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/serve-companies-outside-kl/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/serve-companies-outside-kl/Sat, 17 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTRobo Company Secretary: Yes — the registered office can be our KL address regardless of where the business operates, and there's no such thing as state-based company registration: SSM's register is national. Clients in Penang, Johor, Ipoh and everywhere else run entirely through our message form and email, and visit J-3A-15, Solaris Mont Kiara, Kuala Lumpur whenever they're in KL. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/change-my-company-secretary/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/change-my-company-secretary/Sat, 17 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTRobo Company Secretary: Switching is straightforward: the new secretary consents, the board resolves, SSM is notified, and your statutory records transfer across. The one legal constraint is continuity — no vacancy beyond 30 days. We handle the entire takeover, including collecting your records from the outgoing firm. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/sdn-bhd-all-in-price-malaysian-business/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/sdn-bhd-all-in-price-malaysian-business/Sat, 17 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTRobo Company Secretary: For a Malaysian Sdn Bhd, one price covers company secretary by licensed secretaries, plus do-it-yourself accounts and tax on our platform — other firms usually bill a secretary, an accountant and a tax agent separately. With one director-shareholder who is a Malaysian citizen, the price per activity level is: dormant RM 3,188 for Year 1, then RM 2,788 a year; sales under RM 100,000 RM 4,348, then RM 2,928; sales under RM 1 million RM 6,848, then RM 4,768. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/digital-platform-vs-licensed-firm/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/digital-platform-vs-licensed-firm/Sat, 17 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTLegally both must have licensed individuals behind every filing — a platform without them couldn't lodge anything. The difference is the service model: app-and-queue versus a named secretary you can call, message, or walk in and meet. Both models are legitimate; which fits you depends on whether you want self-service software or a person who knows your file. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/llc-in-malaysia/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/llc-in-malaysia/Sat, 17 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTNo. Malaysia has no "LLC". The two equivalents are the Sdn Bhd (private limited company), the usual choice for a trading business, and the PLT (limited liability partnership), a partnership-style option popular with professional firms. Both keep the owners’ personal liability limited. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/dormant-company-bundle-price/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/dormant-company-bundle-price/Sat, 17 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTRobo Company Secretary: For our dormant price, a company has no business activity for the year: bank debits, bank credits, cash movement, total assets and expenses each RM 1,000 or below. One price covers company secretary by licensed secretaries, plus do-it-yourself accounts and tax on our platform: RM 3,188 for Year 1 and RM 2,788 every year after. We check your records before confirming the level. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/what-does-a-secretary-actually-do/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/what-does-a-secretary-actually-do/Sat, 17 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTYour company secretary is the statutory officer who keeps the company legal: lodging filings with SSM, preparing board and shareholders' resolutions, maintaining the statutory registers and beneficial ownership records, filing the annual return, hosting the registered office, and tracking every compliance deadline — accounts, e-Invois onboarding, BO updates — so directors don't have to. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/no-secretary-what-happens/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/no-secretary-what-happens/Sat, 17 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTThe office must not stay vacant more than 30 days — beyond that, the company and every director commit an offence under the Companies Act 2016, filings stop being possible, and the compliance record starts decaying toward penalties. If your secretary has resigned, appointing a replacement is urgent, not administrative. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/all-in-price-not-included/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/all-in-price-not-included/Sat, 17 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTRobo Company Secretary: Not included: an audit by an independent auditor, if your company needs one; more than one director or shareholder, which we quote; payroll; SST or e-invoice registration; penalties for late filings from before you joined us; and an accountant or tax agent to prepare or file for you — the accounts and tax platform is do-it-yourself. Everything else the company needs each year is in the price. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/cosec-vs-admin-secretary/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/cosec-vs-admin-secretary/Sat, 17 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTA company secretary is a statutory officer under the Companies Act 2016 — licensed, named on the SSM register, and legally accountable for the company's filings and records. An administrative or personal secretary is an office role with no statutory standing. Every Sdn Bhd must have the former; the latter is optional staffing. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/where-are-statutory-records-kept/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/where-are-statutory-records-kept/Sat, 17 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTRobo Company Secretary: At the registered office — which for most companies is their secretary's address. The registers of members, directors, secretaries, charges and beneficial owners, plus minutes, live there and must be available for inspection. Ours are kept at J-3A-16, Solaris Mont Kiara, Kuala Lumpur; clients can inspect their records any working day, Mon–Fri 8:30am–5:30pm MYT. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/who-can-be-company-secretary/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/who-can-be-company-secretary/Sat, 17 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTOnly a natural person who is either licensed by SSM (holding a valid practising certificate under Section 241, Companies Act 2016) or a member of a prescribed professional body — MAICSA, MIA, MICPA, MACS, LS, the Bar and equivalents — and who ordinarily resides in Malaysia. A spouse, friend or employee without that qualification cannot lawfully hold the office. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/who-prepares-my-accounts/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/who-prepares-my-accounts/Sat, 17 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTRobo Company Secretary: You do, on our platform. Prepare your company's financial statements yourself on our platform. You upload your records, answer the platform's questions, then review and approve the result. Your directors are responsible for the records and the final accounts. We do not prepare, review, audit or sign them. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/who-provides-company-secretarial-service/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/who-provides-company-secretarial-service/Sat, 17 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTAK Secretarial Companies Sdn. Bhd., 201101008946 (937085-D) — its licensed company secretaries do the company secretarial work: incorporation, the company secretary, the registered office, the annual return and beneficial ownership filings. Legal secretarial documents carry that company. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/why-other-company-secretary-prices-look-lower/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/why-other-company-secretary-prices-look-lower/Sat, 17 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTRobo Company Secretary: They usually quote the company secretary fee only. An accountant preparing your annual financial statements and a tax agent filing your Form C are billed separately, and for a small company they are usually the bigger part of the yearly cost. Our one price covers company secretary by licensed secretaries, plus do-it-yourself accounts and tax on our platform — you prepare both yourself. Compare our price with their three bills added up. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/secretary-resigned-suddenly/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/secretary-resigned-suddenly/Sat, 17 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTThe common triggers: unpaid fees, management accounts never furnished, or unreachable directors. Market-standard terms permit resignation — sometimes without notice — where fees stay unpaid past a stated period; a secretary who cannot get information cannot do the job. The office cannot then stay vacant beyond 30 days. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/same-company-as-companies-com-my/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/same-company-as-companies-com-my/Thu, 15 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTWe work together. companies.com.my is the brand of AK Secretarial Companies Sdn. Bhd. (201101008946 / 937085-D), which provides Robo Company Secretary's company secretarial services through its SSM-licensed secretaries, a team incorporating Malaysian businesses since 2011. Robostrikeforce Sdn. Bhd., 202601021273 (1683370-U) runs this website and our do-it-yourself accounts and tax platform. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/amend-details-after-registration/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/amend-details-after-registration/Thu, 15 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTYes — address, directors, shareholders, activity codes and even the company name can all be changed after incorporation, each through its own filing. But every change is a filing with a fee and a deadline, so getting the details right before submission is materially cheaper than correcting them afterwards. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/certify-documents-same-day/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/certify-documents-same-day/Thu, 15 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTRobo Company Secretary: Walk in during Mon–Fri 8:30am–5:30pm MYT with the originals and a licensed secretary certifies while you wait — no appointment needed. Banks, embassies and tender submissions are the usual reasons people need this urgently. If you're not a client, message first so we can confirm what we're able to certify for your situation. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/ssm-downtime-holidays/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/ssm-downtime-holidays/Thu, 15 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTSubmissions can be lodged online at any hour, but SSM processes on working days, so applications filed over a weekend or holiday queue until the next one. Scheduled CRS maintenance windows can also block submission entirely for a period — which matters when a deadline is close. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/urgent-incorporation-deadline/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/urgent-incorporation-deadline/Thu, 15 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTRobo Company Secretary: The realistic floor is about three working days with complete documents and a name that clears first time — SSM processes on working days and nobody can compress that queue. If your deadline is tighter than that, we'll say so upfront rather than take the fee and hope. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/switch-provider-mid-year/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/switch-provider-mid-year/Thu, 15 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTRobo Company Secretary: Yes — takeovers mid-year are routine and your current firm cannot hold your records hostage. We coordinate the handover, collect your statutory registers, and confirm what's outstanding with SSM before quoting. Our retainer clock starts when the takeover files, not when you first message us. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/company-stamp-common-seal/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/company-stamp-common-seal/Thu, 15 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTRobo Company Secretary: A common seal is optional under the Companies Act 2016 — documents can be executed by authorised signatures instead. A rubber stamp isn't legally required either, though banks still expect one. The common seal is inside our incorporation fee; we don't arrange rubber stamps, and a stamp must show at least the company name and registration number. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/do-you-have-reviews/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/do-you-have-reviews/Thu, 15 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTRobo Company Secretary: Our team has incorporated Malaysian businesses since 2011, and companies.com.my, the brand of AK Secretarial Companies Sdn. Bhd., which provides our company secretarial services, carries public Google reviews from that history. We name clients on the site only with their permission, which is why you'll see fewer logos than some competitors display — we'd rather show a short honest list than a long borrowed one. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/serve-selangor-pj-damansara/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/serve-selangor-pj-damansara/Thu, 15 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTRobo Company Secretary: Yes — Klang Valley clients make up a large share of our work, and everything runs online — through our message form and email regardless of where you're based. When in-person matters, Mont Kiara is ten minutes from Hartamas and Damansara, and straightforward from PJ, Subang and Shah Alam outside peak hours. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/languages-spoken/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/languages-spoken/Thu, 15 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTRobo Company Secretary: Yes — English, Bahasa Malaysia and Chinese are all spoken at the office. Message us through our message form in whichever language you're most comfortable with; your statutory documents will be in the language SSM requires, but the conversation about them doesn't have to be. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/pdpa-compliance-new-company/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/pdpa-compliance-new-company/Thu, 15 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTIf your company processes customers' personal data commercially, PDPA obligations apply — and the 2024 amendments strengthened them, adding requirements including data breach notification and, for some organisations, appointing a data protection officer. Certain classes of data user must also register with the Commissioner. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/check-a-company-before-paying/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/check-a-company-before-paying/Thu, 15 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTMinimum viable check: pull the SSM profile to confirm the company exists and is active, verify the bank account name matches the registered name exactly, and search for winding-up petitions and litigation against it. The SSM profile alone won't reveal a company with three winding-up petitions and a director disqualified elsewhere. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/verify-a-secretary-licence/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/verify-a-secretary-licence/Thu, 15 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTAsk for the practising certificate number issued by SSM under Section 241, or the prescribed-body membership number (MAICSA, MIA, MICPA, MACS, LS), then verify it with the issuing body. A legitimate firm will give you this without hesitation. If someone deflects the question, that is the answer. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/buy-ssm-profile/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/buy-ssm-profile/Thu, 15 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTRobo Company Secretary: Company profiles are purchased through SSM's e-Info service. A formal Certificate of Incorporation under Section 17 can also be bought when a bank, embassy or counterparty specifically requires one beyond the Notice of Registration. We pull profiles and certify copies over the counter the same day for clients. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/office-parking-directions/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/office-parking-directions/Thu, 15 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTRobo Company Secretary: We're at J-3A-15, Solaris Mont Kiara, Kuala Lumpur — Block J at Solaris Mont Kiara, lift to level 3A. Visitor parking is available within the Solaris development, and the Google Maps and Waze links on our locate-us page take you to the right entrance, which is the part people usually get wrong. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/search-a-company-on-ssm/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/search-a-company-on-ssm/Thu, 15 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTSSM's e-Info and MyData services sell company profiles containing directors, shareholders, registered address, capital and registered charges. A basic profile costs a small fee and is the standard starting point for checking whether a company exists and who stands behind it. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/joint-venture-foreign-partner/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/joint-venture-foreign-partner/Thu, 15 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTA JV is normally a new Sdn Bhd with negotiated equity, governed by a joint venture or shareholders' agreement covering control, deadlock, funding obligations and exit. Watch two things: sector foreign-equity caps that may constrain the split you've agreed commercially, and beneficial-ownership reporting on the foreign side's chain. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/fnb-business-setup/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/fnb-business-setup/Thu, 15 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTThe company itself is a standard incorporation; the work is in the licences. F&B premises need a council premise licence and signage licence, food handler training and typhoid vaccination for staff, and often halal certification commercially. Foreign-owned F&B additionally falls under WRT rules with substantial capital requirements. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/sign-contracts-for-company/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/sign-contracts-for-company/Thu, 15 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTSign on the company's behalf using valid authority and the appropriate execution method. Section 64 recognises express or implied authority; a separate resolution is not automatically required for every ordinary contract. Formal documents and deeds have additional rules. Check the constitution, delegated authority and any bank or counterparty requirements before signing. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/startup-fundraising-ready/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/startup-fundraising-ready/Thu, 15 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTInvestors expect a clean Sdn Bhd: an accurate cap table, complete allotment history, a constitution if special share rights are needed, and statutory registers that survive due diligence. Founders' shares should be issued properly at incorporation rather than reconstructed later, and any vesting arrangement belongs in a shareholders' agreement from the start. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/mycoid-login-problem/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/mycoid-login-problem/Thu, 15 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTRobo Company Secretary: Yes — our clients never touch the SSM portals. Access has become harder rather than easier: CRS requires an SSM4U account with identity verification done in person at an SSM counter or Tap.it kiosk, permits only one active login at a time, and uses a maker-checker model for lodgement. Filing is what a company secretary is for. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/after-incorporation-checklist/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/after-incorporation-checklist/Thu, 15 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTRobo Company Secretary: In order: confirm your company secretary is appointed (done automatically if you incorporated with us), open the corporate bank account, register the company's tax file with LHDN, register as an employer with EPF and SOCSO when you hire, obtain any licences your activity needs, and note your e-Invois onboarding phase. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/provider-disappeared-mid-registration/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/provider-disappeared-mid-registration/Thu, 15 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTRobo Company Secretary: Yes. We check what has actually been filed with SSM — sometimes more or less than you were told — establish whether the name reservation is still valid, and complete the incorporation from wherever it genuinely stands. Send whatever documents and receipts you have through our message form and we'll tell you the real position. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/gig-driver-incorporate/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/gig-driver-incorporate/Thu, 15 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTFor most individual gig workers, no — the compliance cost of a Sdn Bhd outweighs the benefit at typical individual earnings, and an enterprise registration covers what platforms and tax filing require. Incorporation starts making sense if you're running multiple vehicles, employing other drivers, or carrying contractual liability beyond your own work. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/buy-existing-business-asset-or-shares/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/buy-existing-business-asset-or-shares/Thu, 15 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTA share purchase buys the company whole — contracts, licences and registrations usually continue, but you inherit every liability including ones nobody disclosed. An asset purchase lets you take what you want into your own new company and leave the history behind, though contracts and licences may need renegotiating or reapplying. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/franchise-business-setup/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/franchise-business-setup/Thu, 15 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTFranchisees normally incorporate a Sdn Bhd to hold the franchise agreement, and Malaysia's Franchise Act imposes registration obligations — primarily on franchisors, but franchisees should confirm the franchisor is properly registered before signing. The franchise agreement usually specifies the entity type and sometimes minimum capital. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/ngo-nonprofit-structure/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/ngo-nonprofit-structure/Thu, 15 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTUsually not. Non-profits typically register either as a society with the Registrar of Societies or as a Company Limited by Guarantee — a CLBG has no share capital and applies income to its objects rather than distributing profit. A Sdn Bhd is built to distribute profit to shareholders. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/best-time-to-incorporate/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/best-time-to-incorporate/Thu, 15 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTNo universally best month, but your incorporation date shapes the financial year end that follows, and that drives the whole compliance calendar. Incorporating late in the year with a December year end can mean a very short first period and an early first audit. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/walk-in-company-secretary-kl/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/walk-in-company-secretary-kl/Thu, 15 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTRobo Company Secretary: Yes — our office is at J-3A-15, Solaris Mont Kiara, Kuala Lumpur, open Mon–Fri 8:30am–5:30pm MYT, and you can walk in. No appointment is needed for document certification or a quick question; for incorporation consultations, a message message ahead means the right person is free when you arrive. We're ten minutes from Hartamas, Dutamas and Damansara. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/name-rejected-what-now/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/name-rejected-what-now/Thu, 15 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTRobo Company Secretary: Two options: submit an alternative name, which is why we file three ranked options in the first place, or appeal with justification and any consent letters the objection requires. Appeals take time and don't always succeed; a second name usually gets you incorporated faster than winning an argument about the first. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/property-investment-company/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/property-investment-company/Thu, 15 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTCompanies can hold property, but the treatment differs from personal ownership in ways that matter: financing margins are typically lower for companies, real property gains tax rates differ, and a company holding mainly property income may be treated as an investment holding company with restricted expense deductions. There's no universally better answer. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/family-business-shares/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/family-business-shares/Thu, 15 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTShares can be gifted or transferred to family members, and stamp duty applies on the transfer value regardless of whether money changes hands. Minors as shareholders create practical difficulties with contracts and bank mandates. Succession is usually better handled through a structured plan than by scattering shares early. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/what-if-i-am-unhappy/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/what-if-i-am-unhappy/Thu, 15 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTRobo Company Secretary: Tell us first — most problems are a missed message or an unclear expectation, and we'd rather fix it than lose you. If you still want to leave, we hand over cleanly: statutory records released to your incoming secretary, filings brought current, no obstruction. Serious professional complaints can also go to the secretary's licensing body. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/investment-holding-company-tax/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/investment-holding-company-tax/Thu, 15 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTAn investment holding company derives its income mainly from investments — rent, dividends, interest — rather than trading. Malaysian tax rules treat IHCs distinctly: expense deductions are restricted, and the SME preferential rates may not apply in the same way. If you're incorporating specifically to hold assets, the structure should be designed around that. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/company-registration-number-format/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/company-registration-number-format/Thu, 15 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTSince 2019 SSM issues 12-digit registration numbers, with the older format retained in brackets during the transition — which is why you'll see companies displayed as '201101008946 (937085-D)'. Both refer to the same company, and documents should show the new number with the old one in brackets where the old format is still recognised. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/invoice-requirements/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/invoice-requirements/Thu, 15 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTTwo things are mandatory: the company's full registered name including 'Sdn. Bhd.', and its registration number. The registered office address is not required on invoices or letterheads — and where a company chooses to show an address, a business address is more suitable than the registered one. Once you're onboarded to MyInvois, LHDN's e-Invoice fields apply in addition. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/questions-to-ask-a-provider/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/questions-to-ask-a-provider/Thu, 15 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTRobo Company Secretary: Four questions, of everyone including us. What is the full first-year total, in writing? What does year two cost? Who personally files my documents? What does it cost to leave? Any firm can answer these; the useful signal is which ones do it on their website rather than on request. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/cheap-online-incorporation-catch/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/cheap-online-incorporation-catch/Thu, 15 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTUsually not a scam — just a pricing model. The low headline covers filing only; the mandatory retainer starts immediately, ad-hoc work like director changes is charged per item, and support arrives through a queue rather than a named person. Whether that's a catch depends on what you need. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/when-can-i-start-invoicing/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/when-can-i-start-invoicing/Thu, 15 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTRobo Company Secretary: Immediately after incorporation — the company exists from the date on the Notice of Registration and can contract and invoice from that moment. Invoices must show the full registered name including 'Sdn. Bhd.' and the registration number. Getting paid needs the corporate account, which is why we start that process straight away. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/register-company-kuala-lumpur/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/register-company-kuala-lumpur/Thu, 15 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTRobo Company Secretary: Registration happens online through SSM's Corporate Registry System (CRS) — there's no counter in KL you queue at. What you choose locally is the company secretary who files for you. Ours is a licensed firm at J-3A-15, Solaris Mont Kiara, Kuala Lumpur — RM 2,588 to incorporate, RM 5,168 across the first twelve months. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/company-secretary-mont-kiara/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/company-secretary-mont-kiara/Thu, 15 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTRobo Company Secretary: We're a company secretary service: the work is done by the SSM-licensed secretaries of AK Secretarial Companies Sdn. Bhd. (brand: companies.com.my), with a walk-in office at J-3A-15, Solaris Mont Kiara, Kuala Lumpur, open Mon–Fri 8:30am–5:30pm MYT, incorporating Malaysian businesses since 2011. Incorporation is RM 2,588, with the year-one retainer, registered office, BO declaration and annual return stated separately — RM 5,168 across twelve months. Everything can also be done fully online. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/why-pay-fees-upfront/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/why-pay-fees-upfront/Thu, 15 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTBecause the statutory duties run for the whole year whether or not you trade — deadlines are tracked, the registered office receives mail, and the secretary remains legally accountable throughout. Annual-in-advance is standard market practice. What varies between firms is whether the amount and what it covers are stated plainly before you pay. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/dividends-taxed/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/dividends-taxed/Wed, 14 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTDo not assume dividends from a Sdn Bhd are always tax-free for an individual shareholder. From YA2025, the individual dividend-tax rules include a RM100,000 threshold and a 2% rate on the chargeable income attributable to taxable dividends. The final calculation follows the prescribed rules, rather than an unconditional 2% charge on every cash payment above the threshold. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/are-prices-negotiable/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/are-prices-negotiable/Wed, 14 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTNo — one price, published in full including year two: RM 2,588 to incorporate, plus RM 2,580 of year-one secretary, registered office, BO declaration and annual return, RM 5,168 in total for the first twelve months, then RM 2,580 a year. There is no teaser rate to grow out of later. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/foreign-owned-bank-account/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/foreign-owned-bank-account/Wed, 14 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTYes — foreign ownership is not a bar, but expect enhanced due diligence: full KYC up the chain to real individuals, evidence the business is genuine, sometimes higher initial deposits, and often a director present in person or by video verification. Preparation is what shortens the longer timeline. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/foreigner-own-100-percent/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/foreigner-own-100-percent/Wed, 14 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTA foreign shareholder can own a Malaysian Sdn Bhd, but permissible equity and operating approvals depend on the business sector and activity. Check distributive-trade and other regulated-sector conditions before assuming 100% foreign ownership is acceptable for the proposed operation. The company still needs at least one director ordinarily resident in Malaysia. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/new-company-government-tender/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/new-company-government-tender/Wed, 14 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTIncorporation alone does not establish eligibility for a government tender. Check the particular notice for registration, supply category, construction credentials, financial standing, track record and any Bumiputera conditions. ePerolehan also has a basic-account route for eligible small purchases; do not confuse those purchases with an unrestricted right to tender. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/company-own-another-company/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/company-own-another-company/Wed, 14 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTYes — companies can be shareholders of other companies, and holding-subsidiary structures are common: a parent Sdn Bhd holding operating subsidiaries, or a personal holding company owning your stake. Directors must still be natural persons, and beneficial ownership rules require the real individuals behind the chain to be declared to SSM. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/bankrupt-or-blacklisted-director/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/bankrupt-or-blacklisted-director/Wed, 14 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTAn undischarged bankrupt cannot act as a director without leave of the court or the Director General of Insolvency — that is Section 198 of the Companies Act 2016. A poor CTOS or CCRIS record alone does not legally bar you from being a director or shareholder, but it will make corporate bank account opening and financing harder. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/change-company-name/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/change-company-name/Wed, 14 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTRobo Company Secretary: Yes — a special resolution of members, SSM's approval of the new name, and the Section 28 filing; SSM then issues a fresh Notice of Registration under the new name while your registration number stays the same. Afterward comes the practical sweep: bank, LHDN, licences, contracts and signage. We run it as a fixed-fee job with the checklist included. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/convert-enterprise-to-sdn-bhd/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/convert-enterprise-to-sdn-bhd/Wed, 14 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTThere is no direct conversion in Malaysian law — an enterprise cannot 'become' a company. The route is: incorporate a new Sdn Bhd, transfer the business into it (assets, contracts, licences, bank arrangements, staff), then close the enterprise with SSM. Done in the right order, customers barely notice; done in the wrong order, licences lapse. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/keep-enterprise-and-sdn-bhd/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/keep-enterprise-and-sdn-bhd/Wed, 14 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTLegally yes — nothing stops one person owning an enterprise and a Sdn Bhd at the same time. Keep the two strictly separate in invoicing, banking and accounts: mixing revenue between them muddies tax positions and undermines the company's liability protection. Most owners retire the enterprise once contracts have migrated across. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/incorporate-while-employed/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/incorporate-while-employed/Wed, 14 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTLegally, yes — employment does not bar you from being a director or shareholder of your own Sdn Bhd. The real constraints are contractual: check your employment agreement for conflict-of-interest, moonlighting or IP-assignment clauses. Public servants have separate approval requirements before doing business. Incorporation itself requires no employer consent. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/can-i-pay-in-instalments/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/can-i-pay-in-instalments/Wed, 14 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTRobo Company Secretary: No — incorporation is a single payment of RM 2,588. The year-one retainer, registered office, BO declaration and annual return (RM 2,580) are billed as their own lines, so the first twelve months come to RM 5,168. We don't run instalment schemes or teaser deposits. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/minimum-age-to-register/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/minimum-age-to-register/Wed, 14 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTYes — the minimum age to be a director of a Malaysian company is 18 under the Companies Act 2016. Shareholders can technically be any age, but shareholders under 18 create practical problems with contracts and bank mandates, so under-18 ownership is usually structured through a parent or trust arrangement. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/register-without-visiting/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/register-without-visiting/Wed, 14 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTRobo Company Secretary: Yes — incorporation is filed online and documents can be executed remotely, with notarisation where a statutory declaration requires it. The step that may require your presence is the corporate bank account: some banks insist on meeting a director, others accept video verification. We sequence things so you fly in once, or not at all. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/register-fully-online/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/register-fully-online/Wed, 14 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTRobo Company Secretary: The engagement runs online through our message form and email. Documents, instructions and your Notice of Registration are electronic, and we file with SSM for you. If identity verification or another formality requires your presence, we explain it in advance and arrange the practical route, whether you are in Kuala Lumpur or abroad. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/reserve-a-name-first/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/reserve-a-name-first/Wed, 14 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTYes — a name application costs RM50 and an approved name is reserved for 30 days, extendable in further 30-day blocks up to 180 days in total. Useful when shareholders or documents aren't ready but the name matters now. If everything is ready, direct incorporation skips the separate reservation and bundles the search into the RM1,010. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/reuse-closed-company-name/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/reuse-closed-company-name/Wed, 14 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTRobo Company Secretary: Sometimes. Whether a former company's name is available again depends on how it left the register — struck off versus wound up — how long ago, and whether any objection rights linger. SSM's search shows current registrations, but edge cases around recently-removed names need checking against practice, not guessing. We run that check before you commit branding to it. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/sell-my-company/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/sell-my-company/Wed, 14 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTYes — a share sale transfers the company with its history intact: contracts, licences and registrations usually continue uninterrupted, which is often exactly why a buyer prefers it. The buyer inherits the liabilities too, so expect due diligence, and expect stamp duty on the transfer assessed against the shares' real value. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/reactivate-unused-company/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/reactivate-unused-company/Wed, 14 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTYes, if its statutory record is current. Before trading through a dormant company, check: annual returns filed every year, financial statements lodged, a company secretary in office, and no accumulated SSM penalties. Unfiled years must be regularised first — banks and counterparties will check, and striking-off proceedings may already be underway. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/similar-to-famous-brand/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/similar-to-famous-brand/Wed, 14 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTTwo separate hurdles, and clearing one doesn't clear the other. SSM may reject on similarity to a registered name — but trademark law operates independently, so even an approved name can be challenged by the brand owner. A company name is not a trademark. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/home-address-as-registered-office/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/home-address-as-registered-office/Wed, 14 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTLegally yes — a residential address satisfies the requirement. Two practical costs: the address becomes public record, searchable by anyone who pulls your company profile, and someone must reliably receive statutory mail there in office hours. Landlord consent and strata rules can also object. Most owners use their secretary's address for privacy and reliability. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/personal-account-for-company-money/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/personal-account-for-company-money/Wed, 14 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTDon't. Running company money through a personal account blurs the separation that limited liability depends on, creates a tax reconstruction problem when LHDN asks whose income is whose, and typically breaches the bank's own account terms. If the corporate account is taking time, that's a reason to fix the application — not to improvise with your savings account. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/use-your-address-as-registered-office/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/use-your-address-as-registered-office/Wed, 14 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTRobo Company Secretary: Yes — J-3A-16, Solaris Mont Kiara, Kuala Lumpur serves as the registered office for our client companies, at RM 324 a year. It is a separate line from the incorporation fee, and it runs from year one. Statutory mail is received, logged and notified through our message form; walk in to collect, or we scan and send. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/registered-vs-business-address-usage/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/registered-vs-business-address-usage/Wed, 14 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTRobo Company Secretary: We don't recommend it. Unless you have subscribed to our business address service, keep the registered office off your invoices, letterheads and business cards — it is a statutory service address for mail and records custody. Nor is it premises: not a desk, not a warehouse, and premise-based licences attach to where you actually operate. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/company-lend-me-money/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/company-lend-me-money/Wed, 14 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTCompany loans to directors are restricted by sections 224–225, with specific exceptions. There can also be company tax consequences: section 140B can deem interest income to the company on advances from internal funds to a qualifying director. Obtain advice before drawing funds; approval and repayment arrangements should be documented. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/hire-foreign-workers-ep/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/hire-foreign-workers-ep/Wed, 14 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTA Sdn Bhd can hire foreign employees subject to the relevant approvals. Expatriate Employment Pass sponsorship and other foreign-worker categories follow different processes. For ESD registration, paid-up capital requirements depend on ownership and activity. Company registration or meeting a capital figure alone does not guarantee a pass or permission to start work. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/pay-myself-a-salary/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/pay-myself-a-salary/Wed, 14 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTYes — director's remuneration is the standard way owners take money out. Salary is a deductible expense for the company and taxable as your personal income, with EPF and SOCSO obligations attaching once you're on payroll. The salary-versus-dividend mix is a planning question that depends on your personal bracket, reliefs and what the company retains. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/can-one-person-own-the-company/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/can-one-person-own-the-company/Wed, 14 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTYes. The Companies Act 2016 allows a Sdn Bhd with a single person as both the sole director and sole shareholder, holding 100% of the shares. The only extra care point: a sole director cannot also be the company secretary, and succession planning matters more when one person is the whole board. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/two-foreigners-open-company/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/two-foreigners-open-company/Wed, 14 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTYes on ownership — foreigners can hold 100% of a Sdn Bhd's shares in most sectors. The constraint is directorship: at least one director must ordinarily reside in Malaysia (s.196, Companies Act 2016). If neither founder lives here, a professional nominee director satisfies the requirement with no involvement in business decisions. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/bank-introducer/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/bank-introducer/Wed, 14 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTRobo Company Secretary: Some banks route new-company applications through approved introducers — established customers or certified firms whose introduction carries weight with branch compliance. We hold introducer certifications with OCBC and UOB, so client applications go in through the front door with a named officer rather than the walk-in pile. It doesn't guarantee approval; it does mean the file gets read properly. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/must-i-register-my-business/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/must-i-register-my-business/Wed, 14 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTYes — carrying on business in Malaysia without registering is an offence. Sole proprietors and partnerships register under the Registration of Businesses Act 1956 (fines up to RM50,000 and/or up to two years' imprisonment for non-registration); companies incorporate under the Companies Act 2016. Registration also unlocks business banking and platform onboarding. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/business-plan-required/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/business-plan-required/Wed, 14 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTNo. SSM requires only a business description (up to 200 words) and up to three MSIC activity codes on the Superform — no business plan, no financial projections, no proof of funding. Where a plan may later matter is with banks for account opening or financing, and with certain licence or visa applications. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/dbkl-licence/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/dbkl-licence/Wed, 14 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTDBKL licensing depends on the activity, premises and signage in Kuala Lumpur. Check the applicable licence category before operating. An online or home-based service is not automatically exempt simply because customers do not visit. Using a company secretary’s registered office does not establish permission to operate at your actual business address. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/need-kl-address-to-register/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/need-kl-address-to-register/Wed, 14 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTThere's no such thing as registering 'in KL' — SSM's register is national, one register for the whole country. Any Malaysian registered office works regardless of where you operate: a Penang manufacturer can use a Kuala Lumpur registered office and vice versa. What people mean by 'KL company' is usually just a company whose secretary sits in KL. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/halal-certification/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/halal-certification/Wed, 14 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTHalal certification is a separate assessment of the relevant products, premises and processes. The applicable Malaysian authority may be JAKIM, JAIN or MAIN. Confirm the certification scheme and current requirements before making halal claims or using a logo; incorporation by itself provides no halal approval. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/ssm-portal-access-problem/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/ssm-portal-access-problem/Wed, 14 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTRobo Company Secretary: Not to engage us — we file through our own access, and clients deal with us rather than with SSM's systems. Where any step of your matter needs something done in your own name, we tell you what it is, why, and the practical way to do it before it becomes urgent. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/register-with-lhdn/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/register-with-lhdn/Wed, 14 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTRobo Company Secretary: Yes — the company gets its own corporate tax file (a C number) with LHDN, separate from your personal file. Registration runs through e-Daftar and is often triggered automatically after SSM incorporation; an employer (E) file is needed once you hire your first employee, including yourself on salary. We walk clients through both after incorporation. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/director-epf-compulsory/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/director-epf-compulsory/Wed, 14 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTIf you draw a salary under a contract of service — an employee who happens to be a director — EPF and SOCSO apply as for any employee. A director paid only members-approved directors' fees, without an employment relationship, is treated differently. Substance decides, not the label. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/where-does-paid-up-capital-go/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/where-does-paid-up-capital-go/Wed, 14 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTNo — paid-up capital is not a fee and never goes to SSM. It is the money shareholders pay for their shares, deposited into the company's own bank account once it opens, and it becomes the company's working funds: rent, stock, salaries. The only money SSM receives at incorporation is the RM1,010 registration fee. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/do-i-still-need-an-agm/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/do-i-still-need-an-agm/Wed, 14 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTNo — the Companies Act 2016 abolished mandatory annual general meetings for private companies. Decisions members used to take at AGMs now pass by written resolution, and financial statements are simply circulated to members within the statutory window instead of being 'laid' at a meeting. Public companies still hold AGMs; your Sdn Bhd doesn't have to. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/dormant-company-costs/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/dormant-company-costs/Wed, 14 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTYes. A dormant company still needs annual returns, financial statements, a secretary and a registered office. Audit exemption depends on SSM's qualifying conditions; stopping trade alone is insufficient. Upkeep depends on the filings and accounting work required. For an eligible unused company, strike-off (RM 3,500) may be worth comparing with continued upkeep. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/yearly-renewal-fees/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/yearly-renewal-fees/Wed, 14 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTA Sdn Bhd is never 'renewed' the way an enterprise is — it exists until struck off or wound up. What recurs yearly is compliance: the annual return within 30 days of your incorporation anniversary (SSM fee RM150, s.68), financial statements, tax filing, and your secretary and registered office. Miss the filings and penalties accumulate toward strike-off. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/no-profit-still-file-tax/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/no-profit-still-file-tax/Wed, 14 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTNo tax is payable without chargeable income — but Form C must still be filed every year, profit or loss, active or dormant. Losses properly filed can generally be carried forward against future business income (time limits apply), which is itself a reason to file cleanly in loss-making years rather than ignore the obligation. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/sdn-bhd-suffix-compulsory/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/sdn-bhd-suffix-compulsory/Wed, 14 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTYes — a private limited company must carry 'Sendirian Berhad' or the abbreviation 'Sdn. Bhd.' as part of its name, and the full name must appear on business letters, invoices, official publications and signage. The suffix is what tells the world they're dealing with a limited-liability entity; omitting it on documents is an offence, not a style choice. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/does-my-company-need-an-audit/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/does-my-company-need-an-audit/Wed, 14 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTSome private companies qualify for audit exemption under SSM Practice Directive 10/2024. For financial periods commencing in 2026, meet at least two of three limits: RM2 million revenue, RM2 million assets and 20 employees. The current and preceding two financial years matter. Dormant companies have a separate test; exemption does not remove financial-statement filing. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/einvoicing-new-company/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/einvoicing-new-company/Wed, 14 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTNot every new company must implement immediately. HASiL's FAQ updated 4 September 2026 describes an exemption below RM3 million annual turnover or revenue, subject to ownership and group exclusions. Your start date, revenue history and related entities determine the implementation date. Interim relaxation is conditional, not a universal permission to wait until 2028. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/visa-through-own-company/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/visa-through-own-company/Wed, 14 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTNo — incorporating a company and obtaining the right to live in Malaysia are separate processes. An Employment Pass sponsored by your own company is possible where the company has sufficient paid-up capital, genuine operations and ESD registration, but incorporation alone confers no immigration status and no right of residence. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/ssm-registration-vs-licence/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/ssm-registration-vs-licence/Wed, 14 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTNo — incorporation creates the legal entity; licences give you the right to operate. They're separate systems: SSM registers the company, while local councils licence premises and signage, and sector regulators licence specific activities. A registered company operating without a required licence is still operating unlawfully. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/form-b-c-e-which/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/form-b-c-e-which/Wed, 14 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTForm B is for individuals with business income — sole proprietors, not companies. Form C is the company's own return, filed within seven months of financial year end. Form E is the employer's return, filed by every registered employer by 31 March each year, including companies whose only employee is a working director. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/how-financial-statements-are-lodged/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/how-financial-statements-are-lodged/Wed, 14 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTAnnual returns and financial statements are separate statutory filings. SSM continues to use MBRS 2.0 for these submissions, as confirmed by its September 2026 filing notice. Your company secretary should use the current SSM filing instructions and check any applicable relief; a temporary late-fee waiver does not remove the obligation to file. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/change-business-activity/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/change-business-activity/Wed, 14 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTYour secretary updates the MSIC codes and business description with SSM — a straightforward filing, usually done within the week. The knock-on effects matter more than the filing: licences tied to your old activity may not cover the new one, and banks sometimes review accounts when the registered activity shifts materially. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/change-registered-office/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/change-registered-office/Wed, 14 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTRobo Company Secretary: A board resolution and notification to SSM within fourteen days under Section 46 — we file it the same week as a routine job. The part people forget is downstream: LHDN, banks, licences, insurers and key suppliers all hold the old address, so we hand you a change-notification checklist alongside the filing. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/check-company-name-available/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/check-company-name-available/Wed, 14 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTRobo Company Secretary: The formal check is SSM's name search through CRS — RM50 to SSM, with one search included in our incorporation package and RM100 per additional name. Before you spend on extra searches, we pre-screen your options against the register, controlled-word rules and similarity traps: a rejection costs days, while approval holds the name 30 days. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/close-a-sdn-bhd/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/close-a-sdn-bhd/Wed, 14 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTClosure depends on the company's position. Section 550 strike-off may suit an inactive company meeting SSM's conditions, including no assets or liabilities. Otherwise, assess liquidation. A members' voluntary winding up requires solvency; creditors' voluntary or court winding up may be relevant in other cases. Debts or disputes do not automatically mean members' winding up. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/shareholder-exits/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/shareholder-exits/Wed, 14 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTFor a private Sdn Bhd, an exit commonly uses a share transfer to existing shareholders or a new buyer, subject to the constitution and shareholders' agreement. Section 127's share buy-back route is for companies quoted on a stock exchange. A private-company capital reduction or redemption needs its own legal conditions and procedure. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/increase-paid-up-capital/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/increase-paid-up-capital/Wed, 14 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTA capital increase commonly involves allotting new shares with the required approvals and pre-emption checks. For a cash subscription, the payment must genuinely be received; non-cash allotments need supporting documentation. Lodge the return of allotment within fourteen days and update the registers. Check any licence or immigration requirement before deciding the amount. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/make-company-dormant-properly/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/make-company-dormant-properly/Wed, 14 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTDormancy does not suspend a company's filing duties. Annual returns, financial statements, a secretary and a registered office remain necessary. Audit exemption is conditional: SSM's dormant-company test covers dormancy since incorporation, or throughout the current and immediately preceding financial year. Stopping sales alone does not establish eligibility. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/open-corporate-bank-account/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/open-corporate-bank-account/Wed, 14 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTThe standard file: a board resolution naming the bank and signatories, the Notice of Registration and Superform, directors' and authorised signatories' ICs or passports, and a business profile the bank can understand. Most banks interview at least one director. Straightforward local-owned companies typically clear in one to three weeks; foreign ownership adds enhanced KYC time. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/how-to-register-a-sdn-bhd/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/how-to-register-a-sdn-bhd/Wed, 14 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTRegistering a Sdn Bhd takes five steps: reserve a name, confirm director and shareholder details, choose business codes (MSIC), file the Superform on SSM's Corporate Registry System (CRS) with the RM1,010 fee, then appoint a licensed company secretary within 30 days (Section 236, Companies Act 2016). SSM approval typically 3–7 working days once documents are complete; about two weeks end-to-end from first message. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/bumiputera-status/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/bumiputera-status/Wed, 14 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTBumiputera status is a separate certification question, not an automatic consequence of SSM incorporation or a single shareholding percentage. Check the current criteria for the relevant procurement or contractor scheme, including ownership and effective control, and obtain the required certificate before relying on that status in a bid. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/bank-account-how-long/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/bank-account-how-long/Wed, 14 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTFor a straightforward Malaysian-owned company with a clean file: commonly one to three weeks from submission to an active account, branch and bank dependent. Foreign shareholders or directors push it longer — enhanced KYC on the ownership chain — and an unclear business description can stall any application. A well-prepared file is the biggest controllable factor. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/how-long-does-registration-take/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/how-long-does-registration-take/Wed, 14 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTSSM approval typically 3–7 working days once documents are complete; about two weeks end-to-end from first message. The common delays are company-name rejection and incomplete director details. Pre-screening names against the SSM register is the single biggest time-saver. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/resolutions-included-in-retainer/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/resolutions-included-in-retainer/Wed, 14 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTRobo Company Secretary: Routine annual-cycle resolutions — approving accounts, standard board matters tied to statutory deadlines — are included in the retainer. Transactional work such as share allotments, transfers, charges or bank-mandate changes is quoted per job, in advance, before we start. Your engagement letter lists both columns explicitly, so nothing arrives as a surprise line item. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/cost-to-close-a-sdn-bhd/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/cost-to-close-a-sdn-bhd/Wed, 14 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTFor an eligible inactive company with no assets, liabilities or proceedings, section 550 strike-off is usually the simpler route — RM 3,500, with timing subject to SSM. Where strike-off conditions cannot be met, liquidation may be needed. Members' voluntary winding up requires solvency; insolvent cases need a different assessment. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/cost-to-register-a-sdn-bhd/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/cost-to-register-a-sdn-bhd/Wed, 14 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTRobo Company Secretary: The government fee is fixed: RM1,010 paid to SSM via CRS. Professional fees vary by provider. Ours: RM 2,588 to incorporate plus RM 2,580 of year-one retainer, registered office, BO declaration and annual return — RM 5,168 for the first twelve months. Compare twelve-month totals, not headline prices — including ours. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/company-secretary-monthly-fee/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/company-secretary-monthly-fee/Wed, 14 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTRobo Company Secretary: Malaysian market retainers run roughly RM60–RM200+ monthly — digital platforms at the low end, KL boutiques higher. Ours is RM 1,296 a year, about RM 108 a month, charged as its own line from year one rather than folded into an incorporation headline. Watch the exclusions: many cheap retainers bill separately for every resolution and change. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/how-much-paid-up-capital/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/how-much-paid-up-capital/Wed, 14 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTStart with the capital your business actually needs, then check licence, banking and immigration requirements. ESD registration uses ownership-specific figures, including RM500,000 for wholly foreign-owned companies and RM1 million for its foreign-owned WRT category. Capital belongs to the company and is not a government fee. Meeting a capital threshold does not guarantee approval. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/sdn-bhd-equivalent-llc-pte-ltd/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/sdn-bhd-equivalent-llc-pte-ltd/Wed, 14 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTRobo Company Secretary: Functionally, yes — a Sdn Bhd is Malaysia's private limited company: a separate legal entity with shareholders' liability limited to their shares. A Singapore Pte Ltd, UK Ltd and US LLC occupy the same role in their jurisdictions. The governing law here is the Companies Act 2016, administered by SSM. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/virtual-office-legal/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/virtual-office-legal/Wed, 14 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTRobo Company Secretary: The test is substance: a registered office must be a real, staffed address able to receive and hold statutory documents in business hours. A proper secretarial office or serviced office qualifies; a bare mail-forwarding box may not, and banks scrutinise thin addresses hard during account opening. Ours is a real office you can physically walk into. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/bo-filing-included/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/bo-filing-included/Wed, 14 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTNo — the beneficial ownership declaration is its own line, from RM 324 per filing. It is lodged annually and again whenever your declared owners change. Layered structures cost more: foreign corporate shareholders, holding chains or trusts, where establishing the ultimate individuals takes real analysis. Your engagement letter states which side your structure falls on. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/cost-register-in-kl/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/cost-register-in-kl/Wed, 14 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTRobo Company Secretary: No — SSM registration is national and the RM1,010 government fee is identical everywhere in Malaysia. There is no separate 'KL registration'. What varies is the firm you choose and where your registered office sits. From Solaris Mont Kiara we charge RM 2,588 to incorporate and RM 5,168 across the first twelve months. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/ssm-fee-1000-1010-or-1050/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/ssm-fee-1000-1010-or-1050/Wed, 14 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTRobo Company Secretary: The incorporation fee itself is RM1,000, and RM1,010 is what you pay in practice — RM1,000 plus a RM10 service charge. SSM's name search is a separate RM50. Quotes of RM1,050 bundle a name search in. All of it sits inside our incorporation package rather than arriving as separate line items. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/ep-minimum-salary/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/ep-minimum-salary/Wed, 14 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTFor new and renewal applications submitted from 1 June 2026, ESD publishes monthly salary bands of RM20,000 and above for Employment Pass Category I, RM10,000–RM19,999 for Category II, and RM5,000–RM9,999 for Category III. Salary alone does not secure approval: the sponsor, role, applicable succession plan and other requirements also matter. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/malaysia-vs-singapore-vs-delaware/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/malaysia-vs-singapore-vs-delaware/Wed, 14 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTRobo Company Secretary: Short version: incorporate where your customers, banking and daily operations actually live. Malaysia's SME tiers (15%/17%/24%) and operating costs are highly competitive against Singapore's flat 17% with startup exemptions; Delaware matters mainly when US venture capital demands it. Founders operating in Malaysia who incorporate abroad usually buy complexity, not advantage. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/brand-name-vs-company-name/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/brand-name-vs-company-name/Wed, 14 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTNo — 'XYZ Ventures Sdn Bhd' can perfectly well trade as 'Kopi Hero'. The legal name with 'Sdn. Bhd.' and the registration number must appear on invoices, letterheads and official documents; the brand can front everything else. If the brand matters commercially, protect it where protection actually lives: a trademark, not the company register. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/operate-from-home-addresses/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/operate-from-home-addresses/Wed, 14 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTRobo Company Secretary: Two separate fields, two answers. Registered office: use ours — it's the legal service address and keeps your home off the public record. Business address: where you actually operate, and home is fine there. The Superform captures both, they're allowed to differ, and most home-based and online businesses run exactly this split. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/director-abroad-signing/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/director-abroad-signing/Wed, 14 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTRobo Company Secretary: Routine company documents can be signed digitally or scanned back. Statutory declarations and certain consents need proper execution abroad — typically before a notary public, and in some cases with consular attestation. Bank mandates are the strictest link: signature requirements there are set by the bank, not by us. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/partnership-vs-sdn-bhd/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/partnership-vs-sdn-bhd/Wed, 14 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTA conventional partnership makes each partner personally liable for the whole business's debts — including debts your partner creates. That joint unlimited liability is why two-founder businesses carrying any real risk usually justify a Sdn Bhd plus a shareholders' agreement: liability capped at the company, and the founder relationship governed on paper. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/foreign-branch-vs-subsidiary/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/foreign-branch-vs-subsidiary/Wed, 14 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTA branch is the foreign parent operating in Malaysia — the parent is fully liable for everything the branch does, and registration and filings are heavier. A subsidiary Sdn Bhd is a separate Malaysian entity: liability contained, cleaner banking, simpler Employment Pass sponsorship. Most foreign companies entering Malaysia choose the subsidiary unless regulation forces a branch. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/should-a-freelancer-incorporate/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/should-a-freelancer-incorporate/Wed, 14 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTIt depends on three things: income level (corporate SME rates of 15%/17% versus personal rates up to 30%), client requirements (some corporates only onboard Sdn Bhd vendors — that alone can decide it), and liability in your work. A freelancer billing modestly with low risk often doesn't need the compliance overhead yet; one landing corporate contracts usually does. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/sole-proprietorship-vs-sdn-bhd/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/sole-proprietorship-vs-sdn-bhd/Wed, 14 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTA sole proprietorship (enterprise) is you: registered under ROBA 1956, Malaysian/PR-only, unlimited personal liability, profits taxed as personal income at 0–30%, renewal RM60 a year for up to five years at a time. A Sdn Bhd is a separate legal entity: limited liability, SME rates of 15%/17%/24%, and yearly compliance. Which wins depends on your profit and risk. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/name-queried-despite-consent/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/name-queried-despite-consent/Wed, 14 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTCommon reasons: the consent letter's scope doesn't match the exact name applied for, the similarity extends beyond the consenting entity to a third company, a controlled word needs a regulator's approval no private consent can supply, or the letter lacks the signatory authority SSM expects. Queries have response deadlines — answer precisely and quickly or the application lapses. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/form-ea-cp8d/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/form-ea-cp8d/Wed, 14 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTForm EA is the annual statement of remuneration given to each employee — including yourself if the company pays you a salary — by the end of February, so they can file their own returns. CP8D is the employee particulars listing submitted to LHDN with Form E by 31 March. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/mtep-de-rantau-mm2h/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/mtep-de-rantau-mm2h/Wed, 14 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTThree separate programmes with separate criteria: MTEP (Malaysia Tech Entrepreneur Programme) targets tech founders, DE Rantau is a digital-nomad pass, and MM2H is a long-stay residence programme. None of them is a company registration, and holding one doesn't automatically satisfy the resident-director test — that turns on where you genuinely reside. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/what-are-statutory-registers/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/what-are-statutory-registers/Wed, 14 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTRobo Company Secretary: The record books every company must maintain: registers of members, directors, secretaries, directors' shareholdings, charges, and beneficial owners, plus minutes of board and members' resolutions. They live at the registered office, must be available for inspection, and are what a buyer's lawyers read first in any due diligence. Ours are prepared at incorporation and maintained continuously. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/disadvantages-of-a-sdn-bhd/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/disadvantages-of-a-sdn-bhd/Wed, 14 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTHonestly: ongoing cost and formality. A Sdn Bhd must keep a licensed secretary, file an annual return, prepare financial statements (audited unless exempt), and file corporate tax — typically several thousand ringgit a year even when small. Money also leaves the company formally, through salary or dividends, not by treating the account as your wallet. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/minimum-requirements-sdn-bhd/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/minimum-requirements-sdn-bhd/Wed, 14 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTMinimums under the Companies Act 2016: one director aged 18+ who ordinarily resides in Malaysia and is not bankrupt or disqualified (s.198), one shareholder (the director can be the same person), RM1 paid-up capital, a Malaysian registered office, and a licensed company secretary appointed within 30 days of incorporation (s.236). https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/mof-registration-requirements/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/mof-registration-requirements/Wed, 14 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTBroadly: a registered company or enterprise in good standing with SSM, a corporate bank account in the company's name, business activity codes matching what you intend to supply, tax registration and compliance, and evidence of premises. Field and capital requirements vary by the supply categories you apply for, and Bumiputera status is assessed separately. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/nominee-director-terms-foreigners/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/nominee-director-terms-foreigners/Wed, 14 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTThe written engagement sets out the advance annual fee, applicable security deposit, operational boundaries and permitted indemnity. A nominee remains a legal director with duties to the company; contractual terms cannot promise complete immunity or remove those duties. Resignation also remains subject to the statutory requirement for the company to retain its minimum directors. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/restricted-business-activities/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/restricted-business-activities/Wed, 14 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTMost activities are open to any Sdn Bhd. Some need a regulator's approval before or after incorporation — examples: financial services (Bank Negara), education (MOE), recruitment agencies, oil and gas — and some restrict foreign equity, like distributive trade under WRT rules. The company incorporates first; the licence gates when you can lawfully operate. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/stamp-duty-company-documents/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/stamp-duty-company-documents/Wed, 14 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTStamp duty is a tax on documents, administered by LHDN. For companies the common ones are share transfer instruments (ad valorem duty on the higher of consideration or value determined for stamp-duty purposes), tenancy agreements, and various commercial contracts. Unstamped documents can be inadmissible as evidence in court — which is when people usually discover the omission. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/fee-for-director-or-share-change/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/fee-for-director-or-share-change/Wed, 14 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTRM 324 per change, fixed and quoted in writing before any work starts — resolutions, consents, the SSM filing inside its statutory deadline, and the register updates. Stamp duty on a share transfer is the government’s charge on top of that. And where the change moves who ultimately owns the company, the beneficial ownership filing is a second, separate RM 324. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/documents-needed-to-register/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/documents-needed-to-register/Wed, 14 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTYou need: IC (or passport) copies and proof of residential address for every director and shareholder — plus a copy of the foreign national ID for foreign individuals — one to three proposed company names, a business description with MSIC activity codes, a Malaysian registered office address, and your chosen paid-up capital (minimum RM1). No business plan is required. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/annual-cost-of-a-sdn-bhd/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/annual-cost-of-a-sdn-bhd/Wed, 14 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTRobo Company Secretary: With us, RM 2,580 a year: company secretary RM 1,296, registered office RM 324, beneficial ownership declaration RM 324, and the annual return RM 636 — SSM’s RM150 lodgement fee sits inside that, not on top. Accounts and tax are separate: do-it-yourself software on our platform, accountants.com.my. Audit, where required, is separate too. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/year-2-renewal-price/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/year-2-renewal-price/Wed, 14 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTRobo Company Secretary: RM 2,580 a year: company secretary RM 1,296, registered office RM 324, beneficial ownership declaration RM 324, annual return RM 636 with SSM’s RM150 lodgement fee inside it. Accounts and tax are self-service on our platform, priced separately; audit is separate. There is no renewal fee for the company itself — a Sdn Bhd exists until it is closed. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/whats-included-in-your-price/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/whats-included-in-your-price/Wed, 14 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTRobo Company Secretary: For a one-person company, RM 2,588 covers the SSM incorporation fee of RM1,010, one name search, a bankruptcy check, the Constitution and its stamp duty, common seal, register books, and the resolution to open one bank account. Company secretary, registered office, BO declaration and the annual return are separate recurring items, priced on our pricing page. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/choose-financial-year-end/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/choose-financial-year-end/Wed, 14 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTChoose a year end that leaves time to prepare the first financial statements within 18 months of incorporation. That preparation deadline is different from the year-end date itself. Later statements are prepared within six months of year end. Tax filing, audit and circulation deadlines should be planned together with your secretary and any accountant or auditor you engage. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/director-dies-what-happens/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/director-dies-what-happens/Wed, 14 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTThe company survives — perpetual succession means it doesn't dissolve with an owner. Shares pass through the estate, requiring grant of probate or letters of administration first. If the deceased was the sole director, a replacement is urgent: Section 196 requires a resident director at all times. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/missed-annual-return/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/missed-annual-return/Wed, 14 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTPenalties accrue — SSM compounds against the company and directors at published, escalating rates — and persistent failure to file is a ground for strike-off and prosecution. One missed return is fixable money; several missed years is a regularisation project. Either way the cost grows with waiting. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/refund-if-i-cancel/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/refund-if-i-cancel/Wed, 14 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTRobo Company Secretary: Once your deposit is paid and the name search is done, payment is non-refundable: SSM’s RM1,010 is non-refundable once filed, and professional work has begun. Before that point, contact us through our message form for case-by-case review. The engagement letter sets out the full terms before you sign. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/cidb-licence/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/cidb-licence/Wed, 14 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTContractors generally need CIDB registration before undertaking construction work in Malaysia, subject to statutory exemptions. Local, foreign and joint-venture routes differ. For government construction procurement, check SPKK as well as PPK and the notice requirements. Incorporation and paid-up capital alone do not establish a contractor’s eligibility. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/company-constitution-needed/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/company-constitution-needed/Wed, 14 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTOptional since the Companies Act 2016 — without one, the Act's default rules govern, and for a simple single-owner company that's usually enough. A constitution earns its keep when you need what defaults don't give: multiple share classes, special board or veto rights, transfer restrictions, or terms an investor requires. Adopt it when there's a reason, not as decoration. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/labuan-vs-sdn-bhd/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/labuan-vs-sdn-bhd/Wed, 14 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTA Labuan company is a midshore vehicle under the Labuan Companies Act 1990, suited to mostly-offshore activity — international trading, holding, certain licensed financial businesses — with its own tax regime. For a business with Malaysian customers, Malaysian banking and Malaysian staff, a domestic Sdn Bhd is the expected structure; Labuan entities face restrictions dealing onshore. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/notice-of-registration/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/notice-of-registration/Wed, 14 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTThe Notice of Registration is SSM's confirmation under Section 15 of the Companies Act 2016 that your company exists — its legal birth certificate, issued electronically with your registration number. A separate formal Certificate of Incorporation (Section 17) can be purchased if a bank, embassy or counterparty specifically asks for one. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/what-is-a-registered-office/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/what-is-a-registered-office/Wed, 14 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTThe registered office is the company's official legal address: where SSM and LHDN notices are served, where statutory registers live, and what appears on the public record. It must be a physical Malaysian address capable of receiving documents — not a P.O. Box. It need not be where you actually work; most companies use their secretary's office. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/what-is-a-sdn-bhd/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/what-is-a-sdn-bhd/Wed, 14 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTA Sdn Bhd (Sendirian Berhad) is a Malaysian private company limited by shares under the Companies Act 2016, registered with SSM. It is a separate legal entity from its owners, so liability is limited to unpaid share capital. It needs at least one director and one shareholder, who can be the same person. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/shelf-company-worth-it/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/shelf-company-worth-it/Wed, 14 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTRobo Company Secretary: A shelf company is an already incorporated company represented as having never traded. RCS also offers existing Malaysian companies for buyers who need a longer incorporation record. Existing companies may have a trading history: verify the particular company rather than assuming it is an unused shelf company. Available options, records, prices and transfer scope are confirmed by our team. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/tax-clearance-letter/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/tax-clearance-letter/Wed, 14 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTA Tax Clearance Letter records HASiL’s clearance position for the case concerned. Company closure and employee departure have different procedures. Employer notification can apply when an employee leaves Malaysia for more than three months; it is not limited to foreign employees. Check the relevant notification, exceptions and withholding requirements before releasing final payments. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/wrt-licence-who-needs-it/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/wrt-licence-who-needs-it/Wed, 14 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTForeign participation in distributive trade needs an activity-specific review of KPDN requirements before incorporation or investment. Do not rely on a blanket 50% ownership trigger or assume RM1 million is the capital requirement for every format. Confirm the activity, ownership, outlet format, approval route and capital conditions for the proposed operation. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/what-is-an-annual-return/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/what-is-an-annual-return/Wed, 14 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTThe annual return is a yearly snapshot of the company lodged with SSM — registered office, principal activities, directors, shareholders, secretary, share capital — due within 30 days of each incorporation anniversary under Section 68, with a RM150 lodgement fee. It is not the financial statements: the accounts are a separate, additional filing. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/llp-vs-sdn-bhd/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/llp-vs-sdn-bhd/Wed, 14 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTAn LLP (Perkongsian Liabiliti Terhad, 'PLT') combines partnership flexibility with limited liability and lighter compliance — no audit requirement, no company secretary, but a compliance officer instead. The trade-off: weaker acceptance from banks, investors and corporate clients. Professional practices use LLPs well; growth businesses aiming at funding or tenders usually still choose the Sdn Bhd. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/mof-licence-requirements/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/mof-licence-requirements/Wed, 14 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTMOF supplier registration is relevant to federal procurement through ePerolehan, but it is not the only account type. Eligible Malaysian suppliers can use a free basic account for non-consultancy goods and services transactions not exceeding RM20,000. MOF accounts cover the wider registration route. The procurement notice and supply category determine what you need. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/what-is-an-msic-code/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/what-is-an-msic-code/Wed, 14 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTMSIC codes are Malaysia's standard classification of business activities. On the Superform you select up to three codes plus a business description of up to 200 words. The codes matter beyond statistics: banks check them against your stated activity, and some licences and government registrations (like MOF) depend on having the right ones. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/what-is-cp204/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/what-is-cp204/Wed, 14 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTCP204 estimates company tax payable. Existing businesses generally file at least 30 days before the basis period starts. New businesses follow separate commencement rules; qualifying relief must be checked. CP204A revisions are available in months 6, 9 and 11. Monthly instalments and under-estimation consequences make timely review important. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/what-is-crs-ssm4u/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/what-is-crs-ssm4u/Wed, 14 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTSSM operates the Corporate Registry System (CRS), accessed through SSM4U. The correct submission channel depends on the transaction. MBRS 2.0 remains in use for annual returns and financial statements; do not assume that every statutory filing has moved to CRS. Your company secretary should check the current SSM instructions for the filing concerned. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/what-is-not-included/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/what-is-not-included/Wed, 14 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTRobo Company Secretary: Rubber stamp (the common seal is included), additional name searches at RM100 each, audit, business or premise licences, transactional secretarial work such as share transfers and director changes, and your own paid-up capital — which is your money, not a fee. Accounts and tax are self-service on our platform, accountants.com.my, priced separately. Everything else is on the pricing page with a figure. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/what-is-ssm/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/what-is-ssm/Wed, 14 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTSSM (Suruhanjaya Syarikat Malaysia / Companies Commission of Malaysia) is the national registrar of companies and businesses. It administers the Companies Act 2016 for companies like Sdn Bhds and the Registration of Businesses Act 1956 for sole proprietorships and partnerships. Incorporations, annual returns and company searches all go through SSM. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/ssm-fee-to-register/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/ssm-fee-to-register/Wed, 14 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTRobo Company Secretary: The government fee is RM1,010 for direct incorporation via SSM's Corporate Registry System (CRS), per the SSM Table of Fees. It is fixed nationwide and non-refundable once filed. It sits inside our RM 2,588 incorporation price rather than on top of it — the year-one retainer, registered office, BO declaration and annual return are separate. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/what-is-the-superform/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/what-is-the-superform/Wed, 14 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTThe Superform is the single online incorporation application under Section 14 of the Companies Act 2016, filed through CRS. It combines what used to be several forms: company name, directors' and shareholders' details, MSIC business codes, registered office and share capital — one submission, one RM1,010 fee, one approval. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/withholding-tax-foreign-vendors/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/withholding-tax-foreign-vendors/Wed, 14 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTCertain payments to non-residents require withholding tax, depending on their nature, source and any treaty or exemption. The general remittance deadline is one month after payment or crediting, with specific exceptions. Failure can trigger increased tax and deduction restrictions; later settlement may restore a deduction under the applicable rules. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/online-business-licence/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/online-business-licence/Wed, 14 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTAn online business must check registration, consumer-disclosure, product and local-authority requirements for its actual operation. Selling online does not by itself remove licensing requirements. Tell the relevant council what happens at the operating address, including storage, food preparation, staff or collections, and confirm whether a licence or permission is needed. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/what-must-i-file-every-year/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/what-must-i-file-every-year/Wed, 14 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTThe annual cycle: an annual return to SSM within 30 days of your incorporation anniversary (Section 68), financial statements circulated to members within six months of year end and lodged within 30 days after, corporate tax Form C within seven months of year end, and the beneficial-ownership register kept current throughout. Audit applies unless your company qualifies for exemption. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/first-employee-registrations/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/first-employee-registrations/Wed, 14 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTSet up employer registrations and payroll obligations with EPF, PERKESO and HASiL when hiring. Contribution eligibility and rates vary by age, citizenship, residence status and scheme; one percentage does not fit every employee. Check the official contribution schedules, EIS eligibility and monthly tax deductions before the first payroll, including for a director employed by the company. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/records-retention/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/records-retention/Wed, 14 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTAccounting records — invoices, receipts, bank statements, ledgers — must be kept for seven years under both the Companies Act 2016 and tax law, and LHDN can require them in an audit years after the fact. Statutory registers and minutes are kept for the life of the company. Digital copies are acceptable if complete and retrievable. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/online-seller-structure/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/online-seller-structure/Wed, 14 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTSelling online in Malaysia requires SSM registration — marketplaces and payment gateways ask for the certificate, and unregistered trading is an offence. Whether that registration is a cheap enterprise or a Sdn Bhd depends on scale: many sellers start as enterprises and incorporate when volumes, supplier credit or platform requirements grow. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/sdn-bhd-tax-rate/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/sdn-bhd-tax-rate/Wed, 14 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTQualifying companies pay 15% on the first RM150,000 of chargeable income, 17% on the next RM450,000 and 24% above RM600,000. Eligibility is not based on size alone: Malaysian incorporation and tax residence, ordinary share capital, business income and ownership tests all matter. Other companies generally pay 24%, subject to applicable special rules. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/sdn-bhd-vs-berhad/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/sdn-bhd-vs-berhad/Wed, 14 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTSdn Bhd is a private company: maximum 50 shareholders, shares cannot be offered to the public, lighter governance. Bhd (Berhad) is a public company: it may offer shares to the public — listed companies on Bursa Malaysia are Berhads — with far heavier compliance. Virtually every SME, startup and family business incorporates as a Sdn Bhd. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/first-accounts-due/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/first-accounts-due/Wed, 14 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTDirectors must prepare the first financial statements within 18 months of incorporation. For a private company, circulation is generally within six months of financial year end, followed by SSM lodgement within 30 days after circulation. These are separate deadlines. Plan audit time where exemption is unavailable or an audit is otherwise required. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/charge-sst/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/charge-sst/Wed, 14 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTSST registration depends on the taxable activity and its category-specific rules. There is no single threshold for every business: some categories have none, and voluntary registration can be available below a threshold. Sales tax and service tax operate differently. Check the applicable scope, exemptions, registration date and rate before charging customers. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/first-tax-filing-due/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/first-tax-filing-due/Wed, 14 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTA company's Form C is generally due seven months after the accounting period closes. CP204 estimates have a separate timetable: existing businesses generally file at least 30 days before the basis period starts; new businesses follow commencement rules. A new company should check exemption eligibility rather than assume two years without estimates. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/when-to-upgrade-to-sdn-bhd/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/when-to-upgrade-to-sdn-bhd/Wed, 14 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTThe common triggers: your liability exposure is growing (contracts, staff, premises), clients or tenders require a Sdn Bhd, you're bringing in partners or investors, banks want a corporate borrower, or your profits have reached the level where corporate tax planning beats personal rates. Usually two or more arrive together — that's the signal. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/which-bank-for-new-company/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/which-bank-for-new-company/Wed, 14 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTThere's no universal best — the fit depends on whether you need heavy cash handling or pure online banking, foreign-currency accounts, merchant facilities, or trade financing. The major locals (Maybank, CIMB) and the foreign banks (OCBC, UOB) each price these differently and revise fees often, so current fee schedules matter more than reputation. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/why-rm320-offers-exist/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/why-rm320-offers-exist/Wed, 14 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTRobo Company Secretary: Headline prices like RM320–RM399 typically cover the filing work only — the RM1,010 SSM fee and a secretarial retainer starting within 30 days come on top. That is a legitimate model; a headline standing alone is just incomplete. Ours in full: RM 5,168 for the first twelve months, itemised, then RM 2,580 a year. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/why-banks-reject-new-accounts/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/why-banks-reject-new-accounts/Wed, 14 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTFour causes explain most rejections: a vague business description compliance can't map to real activity, a mismatch between MSIC codes and the stated business, a foreign ownership chain that can't be resolved to real individuals, and adverse name-screening hits. All four are addressable before submission — the point of preparing the file properly. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/why-company-names-get-rejected/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/why-company-names-get-rejected/Wed, 14 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTThe usual causes: identical or confusingly similar to a name already on the register, controlled or restricted words used without approval ('Bank', 'Royal', 'University', state names and the like), misleading descriptions of the business, or missing consent letters where a name references another entity. Name rejection is the single biggest cause of registration delay. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/why-pay-for-registered-office/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/why-pay-for-registered-office/Wed, 14 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTBecause it's a working service, not a line on a form: statutory mail received and logged every business day, your registers held and producible for inspection, and a stable public address that doesn't change when you move house. RM 324 a year, charged from year one and stated upfront rather than discovered at renewal. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/director-personal-liability/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/director-personal-liability/Sun, 20 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMTGenerally 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. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/company-as-director/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/company-as-director/Sun, 20 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMTNo — Malaysian law requires directors to be natural persons; a company cannot hold the office of director. Corporate involvement happens at the shareholder level instead, where companies may freely own shares. This differs from some jurisdictions, which is why foreign parents sometimes arrive expecting to appoint themselves to the board. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/sole-director-resign/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/sole-director-resign/Sun, 20 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMTRobo Company Secretary: Not into a vacuum. Section 196 requires every company to keep at least one director who ordinarily resides in Malaysia, so a sole director's resignation only takes effect once a replacement is in place — a resignation that would leave the office empty is ineffective. Appoint the successor first, then resign; we manage the sequencing and filings. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/foreigner-sole-director/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/foreigner-sole-director/Sun, 20 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMTOnly if that foreigner ordinarily resides in Malaysia — the sole director must personally satisfy the Section 196 residence requirement, since there is no one else to carry it. A foreigner living here on a long-term pass can qualify; one managing the company from abroad cannot, and the compliant answer is adding a resident director, professional or otherwise. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/nominee-shareholder/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/nominee-shareholder/Sun, 20 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMTNominee shareholding exists and can be lawful — but beneficial-ownership rules mean the real owner must be identified to SSM anyway, so a nominee no longer hides anyone. Legitimate uses are administrative (estate planning, custody); using one to conceal ownership from regulators, banks or a sector cap invites exactly the scrutiny it tries to avoid. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/reduce-or-withdraw-capital/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/reduce-or-withdraw-capital/Sun, 20 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMTPaid-up capital belongs to the company; shareholders cannot simply withdraw it. A reduction requires the Companies Act process: section 115 provides the routes, section 116 addresses court confirmation, and section 117 the solvency-statement route. Member approval and creditor protections matter. Ask the secretary and legal adviser which route fits the proposed transaction. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/foreign-corporate-shareholder/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/foreign-corporate-shareholder/Sun, 20 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMTYes — a foreign company can hold up to 100% of a Sdn Bhd in most sectors. Expect documentation: the parent's incorporation papers, its ownership chain up to real individuals for beneficial-ownership reporting to SSM, and enhanced KYC at Malaysian banks. Sector caps (like distributive trade) apply to foreign corporate owners the same as foreign individuals. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/director-must-own-shares/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/director-must-own-shares/Sun, 20 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMTNo — director and shareholder are separate roles under the Companies Act 2016. One person may be both, either, or neither: a director can hold zero shares, and a shareholder need never sit on the board. Family businesses and investor structures rely on exactly this separation between who owns and who manages. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/add-or-remove-a-director/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/add-or-remove-a-director/Sun, 20 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMTRobo Company Secretary: Appointing is quick: a board or members' resolution, the incoming director's written consent, and notification to SSM within 14 days — we prepare the full set as a fixed-fee job. Removing a willing director is equally routine; removing an unwilling one follows Section 206 (members' ordinary resolution with special notice), a formal process we guide step by step. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/issue-shares-to-investor/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/issue-shares-to-investor/Sun, 20 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMTNew shares are allotted to the investor rather than transferred by a founder. Check allotment approval under sections 75–76 and applicable pre-emption rights under section 85, subject to the constitution. Document the subscription and consideration, then lodge the return of allotment within fourteen days and update the statutory records. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/transfer-shares/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/transfer-shares/Sun, 20 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMTRobo Company Secretary: The chain: an instrument of transfer signed by both parties, board approval (private companies typically restrict transfers), stamping at LHDN — stamp duty is assessed on the higher of the price or the shares’ value determined for stamp-duty purposes — then the register of members is updated and SSM notified. We handle the sequence for a quoted fixed fee. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/how-many-directors/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/how-many-directors/Sun, 20 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMTMinimum one — who must ordinarily reside in Malaysia — and no statutory maximum for a private company, though a constitution may set its own cap. Boards of one to three are the SME norm; what matters legally is that the resident-director floor never breaks, and that every appointment is filed with SSM within fourteen days. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/split-shares-between-founders/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/split-shares-between-founders/Sun, 20 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMTSSM accepts any ratio — the law is indifferent to your split. Commercially, a 50:50 split carries a real deadlock risk: with no majority, a genuine disagreement can freeze the company. If you choose equal shares, pair them with a shareholders' agreement that says how deadlock breaks; if one founder leads, let the cap table say so honestly. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/director-duties/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/director-duties/Sun, 20 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMTThe core duties under the Companies Act 2016: act in good faith in the company's best interest, exercise reasonable care, skill and diligence (Section 213), avoid conflicts of interest and improper use of position or information, and ensure the company meets its statutory obligations. Breach carries personal liability — fines, disqualification, and in serious cases imprisonment. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/ordinarily-resident-director-meaning/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/ordinarily-resident-director-meaning/Sun, 20 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMTRobo Company Secretary: It means having a principal place of residence in Malaysia — actually living here, not visiting. Citizenship is irrelevant: a Malaysian working abroad long-term may fail the test, while a foreigner genuinely residing here on a long-term pass can satisfy it. SSM looks at the substance of where life is based, and we assess it honestly before filing. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/nominee-director-service-terms/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/nominee-director-service-terms/Sun, 20 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMTA nominee resident director is a legally appointed director, not a name rented without responsibility. The appointment can satisfy the residence requirement if the person qualifies. Written terms may limit routine operational involvement, but cannot remove statutory duties to the company. Indemnities are subject to legal limits and beneficial-ownership disclosures remain necessary. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/shareholders-agreement-needed/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/shareholders-agreement-needed/Sun, 20 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMTA shareholders' agreement is the private contract between owners covering what the law doesn't dictate: how decisions are made, what happens on deadlock, how someone exits, vesting, and what a departing founder's shares are worth. SSM never asks for one — which is exactly why disputes without one get expensive. Any company with more than one shareholder should have it. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/beneficial-ownership-reporting/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/beneficial-ownership-reporting/Sun, 20 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMTEvery company must identify the individuals who ultimately own or control it — as a rule of thumb, anyone holding 20% or more, or otherwise exercising control — record them in a beneficial-ownership register, and lodge the information with SSM, keeping it current within statutory deadlines when things change. Nominee arrangements don't exempt anyone: the real owner is declared regardless. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/what-is-paid-up-capital/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/what-is-paid-up-capital/Sun, 20 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMTPaid-up capital is the value paid or credited as paid on issued shares. Cash subscriptions become company funds; properly documented non-cash consideration is also possible. The Companies Act 2016 removed par value and the old authorised-capital concept. The capital needed in practice depends on the business, licences and financing requirements. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/section-17a-directors/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/section-17a-directors/Sun, 20 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMTSection 17A creates corporate liability for corruption by an associated person for a commercial organisation's benefit. It can affect SMEs as well as larger companies. The organisation may defend itself by showing adequate prevention procedures. Directors' personal exposure is a separate legal issue; a purchased screening report does not by itself establish a defence. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/share-price-to-set/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/share-price-to-set/Sun, 20 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMTYour choice — Malaysia abolished par value under the Companies Act 2016, so shares have whatever issue price you set. RM1 per share remains the common convention because the arithmetic stays clean: RM10,000 capital as 10,000 shares of RM1 reads instantly. Later investment rounds can issue new shares at any higher price without restructuring. https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/who-can-be-a-director/https://robocompanysecretary.com/answers/who-can-be-a-director/Sun, 20 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMTA director must be a natural person (companies cannot hold the office), aged 18 or above, of sound mind, not an undischarged bankrupt and not disqualified under Section 198 of the Companies Act 2016. Every company needs at least one director who ordinarily resides in Malaysia; beyond that, foreign directors are welcome without limit.