VIVOS Malaysia
Sdn Bhd incorporation and corporate compliance in Malaysia.
VIVOS (M) Sdn. Bhd. incorporates and administers Malaysian companies for foreign and local owners — SSM filings, licensed company secretary, accounting, tax and Employment Pass support. We are part of the VIVOS Group, so a Malaysian entity can sit inside a Singapore, Hong Kong or UAE structure without you appointing four different firms.
Incorporating in Malaysia: the essentials
What a Sendirian Berhad (Sdn. Bhd.) actually requires. We confirm the current position for your activity before filing.
| Entity type | Sendirian Berhad (Sdn. Bhd.) — private company limited by shares |
| Regulator | Companies Commission of Malaysia (SSM) |
| Governing law | Companies Act 2016 |
| Foreign ownership | 100% permitted in most sectors; conditions apply in some regulated industries |
| Directors | At least one director ordinarily resident in Malaysia |
| Shareholders | Minimum one; corporate shareholders permitted |
| Company secretary | Mandatory, licensed in Malaysia, appointed within 30 days of incorporation |
| Minimum paid-up capital | RM1 (higher amounts often needed for licensing or Employment Pass applications) |
| Registered office | Required, in Malaysia |
| Typical timeline | 3–10 working days once name approval and documents are in order |
| Annual obligations | Annual return, audited financial statements, corporate tax filing |
What we do in Malaysia
Sdn Bhd incorporation
Name search and reservation, constitution, SSM incorporation, resident director arrangements where needed, and registered office.
Licensed company secretary
Named secretary, statutory registers, resolutions and minutes, annual returns and all SSM filings kept current.
Accounting, audit liaison and tax
Bookkeeping, management accounts, audit coordination, SST where applicable, and corporate tax computation and filing.
Employment Pass and immigration
Employer registration, Employment Pass applications and renewals, and dependant passes for relocating staff and founders.
Banking support
Corporate account opening support, business profiles and beneficial ownership documentation prepared the way banks expect to read them.
Cross-border structuring
Malaysian subsidiaries under Singapore or Hong Kong holding companies, shared-service entities, and group reorganisations.
Why groups pair Malaysia with Singapore
Malaysia is rarely chosen in isolation. The most common structure we see is a Singapore holding company for treaty access and investor credibility, with a Malaysian Sdn Bhd doing the operating work — manufacturing, back office, technology or regional shared services — where costs and talent availability are materially better.
That structure only works if both sides are administered properly: intercompany arrangements documented, transfer pricing defensible, and filings current in both jurisdictions. Because VIVOS holds its own licences in both, one team handles both ends of it.
Malaysia company questions
Can a foreigner own 100% of a Malaysian company?
In most sectors, yes — a Sdn Bhd can be wholly foreign-owned. Restrictions and equity conditions remain in certain regulated or strategic sectors, and some licences carry their own local-equity or Bumiputera requirements. The answer depends on the specific business activity code you will register under, which is why we check it before incorporation rather than after.
Do I need a Malaysian resident director?
Yes. A Sdn Bhd must have at least one director who ordinarily resides in Malaysia. If none of your intended directors qualifies, we can discuss resident director arrangements as part of the setup, along with the governance safeguards that should accompany them.
Is a company secretary really mandatory?
Yes, and it must be a licensed secretary appointed within 30 days of incorporation. This is not a formality: the secretary is responsible for the statutory registers and SSM filings, and a lapsed appointment or an incomplete register is one of the most common problems we inherit when clients switch to us.
How long does incorporation take?
Typically three to ten working days once the name is approved and we have complete identity and address documents for every director, shareholder and beneficial owner. Delays almost always come from incomplete documents or a name that SSM queries, both of which we screen for up front.
Do you also handle the Singapore or Hong Kong side?
Yes. VIVOS holds its own licences in Singapore, Hong Kong and the UAE as well as Malaysia, so a multi-jurisdiction group is a single engagement. See VIVOS Group for the full picture.
Set up in Malaysia properly.
Tell us the shareholders, their residency and what the business will do. We will come back with a fixed setup fee and a fixed annual fee.