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UnionSPACE

Private advisory service — not a Malaysian government website. UnionSPACE is a private business consultancy and commercial services provider. We are not part of, affiliated with, or endorsed by the Companies Commission of Malaysia (SSM), LHDN/HASiL, KPDN or any other Malaysian government authority. Company registrations, tax registrations, licences, permits and other official approvals are issued or controlled by the relevant authorities.

Malaysia Market Entry · Private Business Advisory

Planning a Malaysia Sdn. Bhd.? Check the Structure Before You Register.

Malaysia can support 100% foreign ownership for many activities, but the practical setup depends on what the company will do, whether sector licences apply, who will satisfy the resident-director requirement, where the company will be registered, how it will bank and what ongoing tax and compliance obligations follow.

Start with a Malaysia Setup Fit Review: tell us your planned business activity, shareholders, operating model and target timeline. We will help identify the key ownership, director, secretary, office, banking, licensing and compliance questions to resolve before you commit.

Foreign ownership & activity review Director, secretary & office planning Banking, licensing & compliance roadmap
Download Malaysia Company Setup Brochure (PDF)

Page reviewed: 14 September 2026

PRIVATE CONSULTATION

Request a Malaysia Setup Fit Review

Share the essentials. The form opens WhatsApp with your answers so our team can continue the discussion there.

Submitting this form does not submit an application to SSM or any Malaysian authority and does not guarantee company registration, licensing, banking, tax registration or immigration approval.

Private Advisor

Commercial advisory and coordination. We do not issue Malaysian government documents.

Activity First

Review what the business will actually do before choosing the setup and licensing path.

No Approval Claims

SSM, tax authorities, licensing bodies and banks make their own independent decisions.

WHY REVIEW FIRST

A Malaysian Sdn. Bhd. Is More Than an Incorporation Filing

For a foreign investor, the important question is not only whether a company can be incorporated. It is whether the ownership, directors, sector rules, licensing, banking and operating footprint work for the intended business.

1. Business Activity & Sector

Map the actual revenue model and determine whether the intended activity is generally open to foreign ownership or may require sector-specific approvals.

2. Ownership & Resident Director

Review the shareholder structure and how the Malaysia-resident director requirement will be satisfied before finalizing the setup.

3. Secretary & Registered Office

Plan the company-secretary appointment, registered address, statutory records and mail-handling arrangements as part of the operating model.

4. Licensing & Banking Roadmap

Identify whether the activity may require WRT or other approvals, then prepare the banking and local-document strategy separately from incorporation.

CLEAR RESPONSIBILITIES

What Malaysian Authorities Do — and What UnionSPACE Does

UnionSPACE provides private professional support. SSM, tax authorities, licensing bodies and financial institutions remain responsible for official systems, registrations and independent approval decisions.

Malaysian Authorities / Institutions
UnionSPACE Private Advisory
  • SSM administers company incorporation and statutory company filings.
  • Tax authorities administer tax registration, returns and tax obligations.
  • Relevant ministries or agencies control sector licences and approvals.
  • Authorities determine whether an application is accepted, queried, approved or rejected.
  • Banks separately decide corporate-account applications and KYC.
  • Explain the setup considerations relevant to your proposed Malaysian business.
  • Review activity, ownership, director, secretary, office, banking and licensing assumptions.
  • Prepare a practical market-entry and compliance roadmap.
  • Coordinate documents and local professional parties within the agreed private-service scope.
  • Provide office, banking-readiness, accounting and tax support where applicable.

Prefer to use official government channels directly?

You may access Malaysian government information and services directly. Official services may be available at statutory fees that are lower than private professional-service fees.

Official starting points: Companies Commission of Malaysia (SSM) — company incorporation and HASiL / Inland Revenue Board of Malaysia. UnionSPACE's fees are for private advisory and commercial support and are separate from government or third-party charges unless expressly stated in a written proposal.

HOW WE WORK

Start With Fit. Then Decide Whether to Proceed.

A consultation-first process helps avoid incorporating before the ownership, director, sector, licensing and banking assumptions have been considered.

Malaysia Setup Fit Review

You explain the business activity, owners, proposed directors, operating location, expected banking needs and target timeline.

Market-Entry Roadmap

We identify the important company, secretary, office, licensing, banking and compliance questions that should be resolved.

Optional Project Support

If you proceed, we can provide a written scope for private setup coordination, office, banking readiness, accounting and recurring compliance support.

INVESTOR FIT

When a Malaysian Sdn. Bhd. Usually Deserves Serious Consideration

Often Relevant When You Plan To

  • Build an operating presence in Malaysia through a locally incorporated company.
  • Contract with Malaysian customers, suppliers, landlords or employees.
  • Establish a regional trading, service, technology or investment platform.
  • Maintain local accounting, tax and corporate-compliance processes.

Review the Structure Carefully When

  • Your activity is regulated or may require WRT or another sector licence.
  • You do not yet have a workable resident-director arrangement.
  • Bank onboarding, local address evidence or signatory attendance may affect launch timing.
  • Your business model depends on immigration, licences or tax treatment beyond incorporation.

PRIVATE CASE REVIEW & PLANNING

Start With a Written Malaysia Setup Recommendation Before You Commit to Implementation

Before committing to incorporation, a resident-director arrangement, company-secretarial services, office support, licensing or banking, we first review the business and map the most suitable Malaysia setup route.

SPECIAL CASES & ADD-ONS

Additional Requirements May Apply to the Business Model

The attached service page identifies the following as common additional considerations for foreign-owned Malaysian companies.

Retail, Wholesale & Trade / WRT

Foreign-owned retail, wholesale, trade and certain other activities may require additional licensing. The attached service page states a RM 1,000,000 paid-up-capital requirement for WRT licence cases.

Licensing depends on the specific activity and current authority requirements. Confirm applicability before relying on the capital figure.

Residential Address Service

The existing service page lists a residential-address service at THB 18,000/year for cases where banking or signatory documentation requires Malaysian address evidence.

Bank document requirements vary by institution and applicant profile. Availability and suitability should be confirmed before engagement.

PRIVATE PROFESSIONAL SUPPORT

One Advisory Team Across the Setup Workstreams

Once the structure is considered suitable, the engagement can be scoped around the private support your project actually needs.

Corporate Setup & Documents

Structure planning, company name and incorporation workflow, shareholder/director information, documentation and post-incorporation coordination.

Secretary, Office & Local Support

Company-secretary coordination, registered/virtual office support, mail handling and related local operating arrangements within service terms.

Banking Readiness

Business-profile preparation, supporting documents and introductions. Banks control KYC, attendance requirements and final approval.

Accounting & Compliance

Bookkeeping onboarding, tax-filing coordination and recurring corporate-compliance support within the agreed scope.

FAQ

Malaysia Company Setup Advisory FAQs

Practical questions foreign investors often ask before proceeding with a Malaysian Sdn. Bhd.

No. UnionSPACE is a private business advisory and commercial services provider. We are not SSM, LHDN/HASiL, KPDN or any other Malaysian government authority and do not present this website as an official government portal.

Many activities can permit 100% foreign ownership of a Malaysian Sdn. Bhd. The final position can depend on the business activity, sector rules, licences and other conditions.

The attached service page states that a local shareholder is not required in most sectors, although regulated industries can impose ownership conditions depending on licensing.

The source page identifies a typical setup as requiring at least one shareholder, at least one director ordinarily resident in Malaysia, a registered address and an eligible company secretary. Sector and licensing requirements may add further conditions.

A typical Malaysian private company requires at least one director who ordinarily resides in Malaysia. Any third-party resident-director arrangement should be reviewed separately and is subject to due diligence and service terms.

Yes. A Malaysian company must appoint an eligible company secretary in accordance with the applicable requirements. UnionSPACE can coordinate this as part of the private-service scope.

The attached service page states that incorporation can generally be completed remotely. Identity verification, documents and signing requirements still apply, while banking may separately require physical attendance.

The existing UnionSPACE source page uses two different timing references: 5–7 business days in the main sales content and approximately 14 working days in its FAQ. For this reason, this advisory page does not promise a fixed authority timeline. The estimate should be confirmed case by case based on document readiness, due diligence, business activity and SSM processing.

The source page states that banks often require at least one director or authorized signatory to be physically present. Requirements vary by bank and applicant profile, and the bank controls the final onboarding process.

The attached service page states that there is no general minimum for most businesses, while practical capital expectations can arise for banking, immigration or licensing. It specifically identifies RM 1,000,000 for WRT-licence cases. Confirm the capital requirement for the actual activity before proceeding.

Yes. The source page highlights retail, wholesale and trade as examples where additional licensing may apply to foreign-owned companies. Licensing should be reviewed against the exact activity before incorporation assumptions are finalized.

No. Banks conduct their own KYC, ownership, business-activity, source-of-funds, address and signatory review. UnionSPACE can assist with banking readiness, introductions and documents, but the institution controls approval and attendance requirements.

Official Malaysia Information Sources

For official company-incorporation information and direct government channels, consult the Companies Commission of Malaysia (SSM). For official tax information, consult HASiL / Inland Revenue Board of Malaysia.

Information on this page is general and is intended to explain UnionSPACE's private advisory service. It does not constitute legal, tax, licensing, banking or investment advice. Requirements and authority practices can change. Obtain case-specific advice before acting.

NEXT STEP

Describe the Business. We’ll Help You Frame the Right Malaysia Setup Questions.

Start with the actual business activity, ownership, resident-director plan, banking needs and licensing exposure—not with a generic incorporation promise.

WhatsApp Fit Review

Contact Our Multilingual Team in Thailand

Our team speaks English, Chinese (Mandarin), Russian, Kazakh, Burmese, Thai, and Indonesian — Monday to Friday, 9AM–6PM Bangkok time.

Get in Touch

Leave us a message and a UnionSPACE representative will contact you within 12 hours.

Location

Suite 201 - Level 2, 29 Sukhumvit Soi 39, Phrom Phong, Bangkok 10110, Thailand

Open Hours

Local Team. Regional Reach. One Accountable Partner

Free Initial Consultation Available

Tell us what the business will do, who will own it and how you plan to operate in Thailand. Our Bangkok advisory team will identify the lawful structures available and explain the practical cost and consequences of each.

  • A written structural recommendation
  • Consultation fee confirmed before booking
  • Advice available in seven languages
Arrange a consultation Email the advisory team

Prefer to speak directly? Call (+66) 02 1188 988
Monday–Friday, 9:00–18:00 Bangkok time.