Digital company secretarial packages in Malaysia: what to check before you sign

Every Sdn. Bhd. must have a company secretary. Many firms now sell the service as an online package with a yearly fee, a portal and digital signing. The packages look alike on a pricing page, but they differ in what the fee actually covers.

What the law requires

• Every company must have at least one secretary (Companies Act 2016, section 235), and the first secretary must be appointed within 30 days of incorporation (section 236).
• The secretary must be a natural person aged 18 or over, a Malaysian citizen or permanent resident who ordinarily lives in Malaysia, and either a member of a prescribed professional body or licensed by SSM.
• Since 15 March 2019, a qualified person must also register with SSM before acting as a secretary (section 241). You can check a name on SSM's list of registered secretaries.

A digital package does not change any of this. The portal is a tool; the licensed person behind it is what the law requires.

Five things to check in a package

1. Who your secretary is. Ask for the name of the licensed secretary who signs for your company, and check that name on SSM's register.

2. What the yearly fee includes. Some packages cover only the registered office address and deadline reminders, and charge each filing separately. Others include board resolutions and the annual return. Ask for the list of documents included and the price of anything outside it.

3. Annual return and deadlines. The annual return must be lodged within 30 days of each anniversary of incorporation. Ask whether the package files it for you or only reminds you, and who is responsible if it is late.

4. Records and handover. Your statutory registers and resolutions belong to the company. Check that you can download them at any time, and what happens to them if you leave.

5. One-off changes this year. Some companies must update their share and shareholder information with SSM by 14 January 2027 under Practice Directive 11/2026. If this applies to you, ask whether the package handles it and at what cost.

Price is the last thing to compare

A low yearly fee can cost more once each resolution and filing is billed on top. Compare the total for a normal year: the annual return, at least one board resolution, and any change of director, address or shares you expect.

How Synco does it

Synco's company secretarial work is done by a licensed secretary you can name. The Basic plan is RM 600 a year for companies with one or two directors and little activity: it covers the registered office and deadline reminders, and filings are charged separately. Most active companies get a written quote after we review their records. Moving from your current secretary is free: one board resolution appoints us, and we collect your records.

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