Malaysia Company Search Guide 2026: How to Verify a Malaysia Business

TL;DR. Malaysia’s official business registry is SSM MyData, operated by the Companies Commission Malaysia (Suruhanjaya Syarikat Malaysia). Foreign buyers can register with a passport and purchase company profile documents for MYR 5-25 (~USD 1.10-5.60). The interface is fully in English, there is no public API, and all document downloads are instant once payment clears.

What is the official Malaysia business registry?

The Companies Commission Malaysia, known by its Malay name Suruhanjaya Syarikat Malaysia (SSM), maintains the central registry for all companies and businesses incorporated or registered in Malaysia. SSM operates under the Companies Act 2016 (which replaced the Companies Act 1965) and the Registration of Businesses Act 1956 (for business names and sole proprietors). The public search and document portal is SSM MyData, accessible at mydata.ssm.com.my.

SSM covers Sendirian Berhad (Sdn Bhd, the private limited company), Berhad (Bhd, the public company), limited liability partnerships (LLP, or Perkongsian Liabiliti Terhad), sole proprietors registered under a business name, and branch offices of foreign companies registered in Malaysia. Foreign company registrations are held on the same registry. SSM also maintains the central register of charges (security interests) against company assets.

Records in SSM MyData date back to the early 1990s for most entity types. Digitization of older paper records is ongoing; pre-1990 filings may require a counter visit at an SSM branch office.

What can you search?

SSM MyData supports searches by:

• Company name (partial match supported)
• Company number (the primary registration identifier, formatted as a 12-digit number post-2016, or legacy format for older companies)
• Business name (for sole proprietors and partnerships)
• Director or officer name (within certain record types)

Data available per entity record includes: registered name, company number, entity type, registered office address, date of incorporation, status (active, struck off, wound up, dissolved), primary business activity (Malaysia Standard Industrial Classification code), paid-up capital, list of directors and company secretaries, list of shareholders, and details of any registered charges.

Data freshness is tied to filing events. SSM processes lodgments filed through its e-portal and updates the registry within 1-3 business days of acceptance. Annual return data is current to the date of the last filed return, which for Sdn Bhd companies may be up to 30 months prior depending on financial year end.

How much does it cost?

Prices are as of May 2026 per SSM MyData’s official fee schedule at mydata.ssm.com.my. MYR/USD conversion used: 0.225 (approximate as of May 2026; verify at point of purchase). Payment is accepted by credit card, debit card, and FPX (Malaysia’s interbank online banking network), which requires a Malaysian bank account.

Note: FPX is only available to buyers with Malaysian bank accounts. Foreign buyers should use an international credit or debit card.

Do you need a local account or ID?

Registration on SSM MyData requires an account, but foreign buyers can create one using a passport number and an international email address. No Malaysian identity card (MyKad) or local bank account is mandatory for the registration process itself. The platform does require account creation before any purchase; there is no guest checkout.

Once registered, foreign buyers can purchase documents using an international Visa or Mastercard. The captcha step during account creation and login is a standard image-based challenge. There is no government ID verification step beyond providing passport details in the account form.

Is the website in English?

Yes. SSM MyData is fully in English across all search, purchase, and account management interfaces. The underlying entity data, including company names and officer names, reflects how those entries were originally filed. Some older entries may have company names recorded only in Romanized Malay or with abbreviations consistent with Malay-language filing conventions.

What’s the turnaround time?

Document downloads are instant once payment is processed. SSM MyData generates the PDF on demand and delivers it via the browser download. There is no manual fulfilment step for standard company profiles or document extracts.

For certified copies intended for cross-border legal proceedings, some counterparties may require an apostille or notarization on top of the SSM-issued certified copy. That additional step is handled outside SSM’s systems and may take several days depending on the service provider.

Is there an API?

No public API is available for SSM MyData. SSM does not offer a developer portal, API key program, or bulk data license for third-party integration as of May 2026. All access is via the MyData web portal.

For compliance platform teams that need structured Malaysia entity data at volume, options are limited to licensed commercial data resellers (see below) or coordinated screen-based retrieval, subject to SSM’s terms of use.

What you legally cannot do

SSM’s Terms of Use for MyData prohibit automated scraping of the portal, bulk harvesting of company records without written authorization, and redistribution of documents for commercial resale without SSM’s consent. These prohibitions are consistent with Malaysian law governing government data and copyright in official publications.

The Personal Data Protection Act 2010 (PDPA) governs how personal data of Malaysian individuals, including director names and addresses obtained from SSM records, may be processed. Compliance buyers using SSM data for KYC or AML purposes should document the lawful basis under PDPA, typically legitimate interests or legal obligation, as part of their data governance records. For FATF context, see the FAQ below.

For an overview of how registry data fits into a global due diligence framework, see the Global Business Due Diligence Guide.

Practical tips for foreign compliance buyers

• The company number is the anchor identifier. Malaysia transitioned from a shorter legacy company number format to a 12-digit format under the Companies Act 2016. Many existing companies have both a legacy and a new number; search by either, but record both. The 12-digit number is the authoritative identifier going forward.
• Sdn Bhd vs Bhd. Private companies (Sdn Bhd) are the dominant form and have lower disclosure obligations than public companies (Bhd). Shareholding structures for Sdn Bhd are available in SSM records, but financial statements are not publicly accessible unless the company is listed.
• Bumiputera status is not visible in SSM records. Equity distribution by Bumiputera classification is tracked by other government bodies, not SSM. Do not assume ownership structure from the company profile alone.
• Branch offices of foreign companies. Foreign companies registered in Malaysia appear in SSM with a separate company number and a “Foreign Company” entity type. They file separately from the parent entity; the parent’s financial standing requires a separate search in the parent’s home jurisdiction.
• Status field meanings. “Active” means the entity is registered and in good standing. “Struck off” means SSM has removed the company from the register for non-compliance. A company may also be “In Liquidation” or “Dissolved”; each carries different implications for counterparty risk.
• Malaysia is not on the FATF grey list (see FAQ). Standard CDD applies; no enhanced due diligence is mandated solely by jurisdiction.

Alternatives if you cannot access SSM MyData directly

• Aggregator search (free, indicative only): OpenCorporates indexes some Malaysia company filings but lags official data. Useful for a quick name check; not for compliance-grade verification.
• No public API alternative exists. SSM has not published a bulk data feed or API program as of May 2026.

Local data suppliers

• CTOS Data Systems (ctosmy.com). Malaysia’s largest credit reporting agency, licensed under the Credit Reporting Agencies Act 2010. Provides commercial credit reports combining SSM registry data with trade payment history, court records, and CCRIS (Central Credit Reference Information System) data. Target audience: banks, trade creditors, leasing companies.
• RAM Credit Information (ramci.com.my). Part of the RAM group, which includes RAM Ratings. Provides commercial credit reports and company due diligence reports for Malaysian entities. Target audience: financial institutions and corporates performing supplier or counterparty checks.

Use SSM MyData for the authoritative legal filing record. Use a credit bureau when you also need payment behavior or financial risk scoring.

FAQ

Can a foreign company access the Malaysia registry directly?

Yes. Foreign buyers can register on SSM MyData using a passport and an international email address, then purchase company documents using an international credit or debit card. No Malaysian entity or local bank account is required for document purchase. The registration step adds a minor friction point compared to registries with guest checkout.

What is the company number in Malaysia?

All companies incorporated under the Companies Act 2016 receive a 12-digit company registration number assigned by SSM at incorporation. Older companies also retain their legacy number (typically 6-7 digits followed by letter codes). Both numbers refer to the same entity; the 12-digit number is now the primary identifier used in all SSM filings and government systems.

What entity types are registered with SSM?

SSM registers Sendirian Berhad (Sdn Bhd, private limited companies), Berhad (Bhd, public companies), limited liability partnerships (PLT/LLP), sole proprietors registered under a business name, general partnerships, and foreign companies (branch offices of overseas entities). Statutory bodies, cooperatives, and societies are not registered with SSM; they fall under separate regulatory bodies.

Does Malaysia have a beneficial ownership (UBO) registry?

Malaysia introduced beneficial ownership disclosure requirements through amendments to the Companies Act 2016, effective from 2020. Companies are required to maintain a Register of Beneficial Owners internally and to report beneficial owners holding 20% or more of voting rights to SSM. However, as of May 2026, this beneficial ownership data is not fully public-facing in SSM MyData. Compliance buyers may request it during due diligence through the company itself or through SSM’s processes. This aligns with FATF Recommendation 24 on transparency of legal persons, which Malaysia is implementing progressively.

How current is the data in SSM MyData?

Data is updated on a filing-event basis. Changes in directors, registered address, paid-up capital, and company status appear within 1-3 business days of SSM accepting the lodgment. Annual return data reflects the most recently filed return, which may be 12-30 months prior depending on the company’s financial year. For real-time status, the portal is the definitive source; no other public feed mirrors SSM data.

Is Malaysia on the FATF grey list?

No. Malaysia is not on the FATF Increased Monitoring list as of May 2026. Malaysia completed its FATF mutual evaluation process and has addressed its identified deficiencies. Standard customer due diligence (CDD) procedures apply for Malaysian counterparties. For the current FATF list, see fatf-gafi.org.

What’s the difference between the registry and tax filings?

SSM holds incorporation and filing data: company structure, directors, shareholders, registered address, and charges. Tax filings are held separately by the Inland Revenue Board of Malaysia (Lembaga Hasil Dalam Negeri, LHDN). Financial accounts filed by private companies with SSM are not publicly accessible; only listed companies file publicly accessible audited accounts. For financial risk assessment beyond registry data, use a commercial credit bureau such as CTOS or RAMCI.

Last verified: May 2026. Sources: SSM MyData (mydata.ssm.com.my), Companies Act 2016 (Malaysia), FATF (fatf-gafi.org). For the full global due diligence framework, see our Global Business Due Diligence Guide.