How to Change Your Company Secretary in Malaysia: A Step-by-Step Checklist for Sdn Bhd
Not happy with your current company secretary?
Maybe your company secretary is slow to respond, difficult to reach, charges fees you do not understand, or you simply want a more proactive professional to handle your company’s compliance.
The good news is that you can change your company secretary.
However, changing your company secretary is not simply a matter of telling your existing secretary that you want to leave. The appointment of a new company secretary and cessation of the existing company secretary need to be properly documented and lodged with the relevant authorities.
In this guide, we explain how to change your company secretary in Malaysia, what documents may be required, what happens to your company records, and what you should check before making the switch.
Can I Change My Company Secretary?
Yes.
A private company in Malaysia is required to have a company secretary who meets the requirements under the Companies Act 2016.
If you are unhappy with your current company secretary, the company can appoint a new qualified company secretary and arrange for the existing company secretary to cease acting for the company, subject to the applicable requirements and procedures.
Changing your company secretary does not mean changing your company.
Your:
- Company registration
- Directors
- Shareholders
- Share capital
- Bank accounts
- Tax registration
- Business contracts
do not automatically change simply because you appoint a new company secretary.
The change is primarily about who is responsible for handling the company’s statutory and corporate secretarial matters.
Why Do Companies Change Their Company Secretary?
There are many reasons a company may decide to change its company secretary.
1. Slow response
You may find that emails and messages take too long to receive a response, particularly when an urgent corporate matter needs to be handled.
2. Poor follow-up
A good company secretary should help the company keep track of important statutory deadlines and corporate compliance matters.
3. Lack of proactive advice
Some business owners expect their company secretary to explain what needs to be done rather than simply prepare documents when requested.
4. Fees are unclear
If you are unsure what your annual or monthly company secretarial fees cover, it may be time to review the arrangement.
5. Company has grown
Your company may have started as a small business but has now grown, taken on investors, issued new shares, appointed directors or undergone restructuring.
Your company’s corporate secretarial requirements may therefore have become more complex.
6. Looking for a more professional service
Sometimes the reason is simply that the directors want a company secretary who is more responsive, organised and able to provide practical corporate advice.
Step-by-Step: How to Change Your Company Secretary
Step 1: Find Your New Company Secretary
Before terminating your existing arrangement, identify and confirm your new company secretary.
Make sure the new company secretary is properly qualified and able to act as a company secretary under the Companies Act 2016.
At this stage, you should also clarify:
- Professional fees
- Scope of services
- Annual compliance fees
- Additional charges
- Expected response time
- Handling of SSM filings
- Maintenance of statutory records
- Handover arrangements
Tip: Do not choose a company secretary based solely on the lowest fee.
A cheaper service may not necessarily provide the level of support your company needs.
Step 2: AML/CFT Background Checks Before the New Company Secretary Accepts the Engagement
Before accepting the engagement, the incoming company secretary or company secretarial firm will generally need to carry out the applicable customer due diligence (CDD) and anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing (AML/CFT) checks.
Company secretaries are reporting institutions under Malaysia’s Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001 (AMLA). Accordingly, the incoming company secretary may need to assess the company’s background, ownership structure and risk profile before agreeing to act.
The checks may include reviewing:
- Company registration and corporate information
- Directors’ identification and background
- Shareholders and beneficial owners
- The nature and purpose of the business
- Source of funds or wealth, where applicable
- Politically exposed person (PEP) status
- Sanctions and adverse media screening
- Existing corporate records
- Other information required under the firm’s AML/CFT procedures
The extent of the checks may depend on the company’s risk profile and the information available.
This means that changing your company secretary is not simply:
“I want to change my secretary — please sign the appointment documents.”
The incoming company secretary may ask questions and request documents before deciding whether to accept the engagement.
A new company secretary may decline to act if the required AML/CFT checks cannot be satisfactorily completed or if the engagement presents unacceptable risks.
Directors should therefore provide complete and accurate information during the onboarding process. Delays in providing identification documents, beneficial ownership information or explanations about the company’s business may delay or prevent the appointment.
The AML/CFT obligations may also continue after the appointment. The company secretary may need to conduct ongoing monitoring and keep relevant customer and beneficial ownership information up to date during the business relationship.
What Should You Prepare?
To make the transition smoother, directors should be prepared to provide:
- Company information
- Identification documents
- Details of directors and shareholders
- Beneficial ownership information
- A description of the company’s business activities
- Information about the source of funds or wealth, where applicable
- Any other documents requested by the incoming company secretary
A professional company secretary should complete the applicable background and AML/CFT checks before accepting the engagement, rather than accepting the appointment without properly understanding the client and the company’s risk profile.
Step 3: Confirm the New Company Secretary’s Acceptance
Once the applicable AML/CFT checks have been completed and the incoming company secretary has agreed to act, the new company secretary will generally need to provide the appropriate consent or acceptance to act.
Your new company secretary should guide you on the documents and information required to complete the appointment.
This is also a good time to provide the new secretary with the company’s basic information and existing corporate records.
Step 4: Arrange the Cessation of the Existing Company Secretary
The existing company secretary needs to properly cease acting for the company.
The exact procedure and documents required will depend on the circumstances and the applicable requirements.
Your new company secretary can normally coordinate this process and advise the directors on the necessary documentation.
You should avoid simply stopping communication with your existing company secretary without properly completing the change.
Step 5: Prepare the Necessary Corporate Documents
The change will generally involve the preparation of the relevant corporate documentation, which may include:
- Directors’ resolutions
- Consent or acceptance documents
- Notice of appointment/cessation
- Other documents required for the relevant SSM filing
Your new company secretary should advise you on the documents required based on your company’s circumstances.
Step 6: Lodge the Change with SSM
Once the necessary documentation has been completed, the relevant change should be lodged with the Companies Commission of Malaysia (SSM) through the applicable filing system.
The change should be properly recorded so that the company’s statutory information remains up to date.
This is an important step.
Changing company secretary is not complete simply because the directors have signed an appointment letter.
The relevant statutory records and filings also need to be updated.
What Happens to My Company’s Statutory Records?
This is one of the biggest concerns when changing company secretary.
Your company should have statutory and corporate records such as:
- Constitution, where applicable
- Certificate / notice of incorporation
- Registers
- Shareholding records
- Directors’ records
- Company resolutions
- Annual return records
- Financial statements
- Share certificates
- Previous corporate documents
- SSM filing records
The outgoing company secretary should arrange for the company’s relevant records to be handed over in accordance with the applicable requirements and arrangements.
Your new company secretary should review the records received and identify any missing information or outstanding compliance matters.
What If My Existing Company Secretary Does Not Cooperate?
This can be a concern for directors who are considering changing their company secretary.
For example, you may be worried that the existing secretary will:
- Delay the handover
- Refuse to release records
- Ignore your emails
- Demand payment before completing the handover
- Claim that certain documents cannot be released
The correct approach depends on the specific circumstances.
Instead of simply abandoning the change, speak to your new company secretary and ask them to guide you through the appropriate procedure.
It is also important to distinguish between:
Company records and documents belonging to the company
and
the outgoing secretary’s own working papers, internal records or documents subject to other rights or obligations.
Not every document held by a professional service provider should automatically be assumed to belong to the company.
What Should I Check Before Changing Company Secretary?
Before making the switch, ask your new company secretary to review whether there are any outstanding matters.
Company compliance checklist
☐ Annual Return up to date
☐ Financial statements properly lodged
☐ Outstanding SSM filings checked
☐ Directors’ information up to date
☐ Shareholders’ information up to date
☐ Share capital records checked
☐ Company registers maintained
☐ Previous resolutions available
☐ Statutory records available
☐ Outstanding corporate actions identified
☐ Company information with SSM reconciled
This review can be particularly useful when taking over a company that has been managed by another company secretary for several years.
Can I Change My Company Secretary Even If I Have Outstanding Issues?
Changing your company secretary does not necessarily mean you need to wait until every issue has been resolved.
For example, the company may have:
- Late filings
- Missing documents
- Outdated registers
- Unresolved shareholding matters
- Outstanding annual compliance work
In such situations, the new company secretary can assess the company’s current position and advise on the appropriate steps to regularise the records.
However, changing the company secretary does not automatically remove existing compliance obligations, penalties or liabilities.
How Long Does It Take to Change a Company Secretary?
The timeline depends on:
- How quickly the directors provide the required information
- Whether the incoming secretary can complete the AML/CFT checks
- Whether the outgoing secretary cooperates with the handover
- Whether the company’s records are complete
- Whether there are outstanding compliance matters
- The processing of the relevant statutory filing
For a straightforward company with complete records and no onboarding concerns, the change can generally be handled relatively efficiently.
However, companies with incomplete records, unclear beneficial ownership information or historical compliance issues may require additional work.
How Much Does It Cost to Change a Company Secretary?
The cost depends on the professional firm’s fee structure and whether additional work is required.
You should ask your new company secretary to clarify:
- Change-of-secretary fee
- Annual company secretarial fee
- Registered office fee, if applicable
- SSM filing fees
- Additional charges for resolutions
- Fees for AML/CFT onboarding or enhanced due diligence, where applicable
- Fees for rectifying historical compliance issues
Do not compare company secretaries based solely on the monthly or annual retainer.
Consider the total cost of maintaining a compliant company.
Can I Change My Company Secretary Without Changing My Accountant or Auditor?
Yes.
Your company secretary, accountant and auditor perform different professional functions.
Changing your company secretary does not automatically mean that you need to change:
- Accountant
- Tax agent
- Auditor
- Payroll provider
- Other professional advisers
You can change only the service provider you are dissatisfied with.
However, if your company is considering changing several professional advisers at the same time, it may be useful to coordinate the transition so that important corporate and financial records are properly handed over.
Checklist: Before You Switch
Before appointing a new company secretary, make sure you have:
☐ Selected a qualified company secretary
☐ Confirmed the scope of services
☐ Confirmed the fee structure
☐ Completed the requested AML/CFT background checks
☐ Provided accurate director, shareholder and beneficial ownership information
☐ Confirmed the handover arrangements
☐ Checked outstanding SSM compliance matters
☐ Confirmed the company’s statutory records are available
☐ Provided the necessary company information
☐ Signed the relevant appointment documents
☐ Completed the required statutory filing
☐ Confirmed that the new company secretary is recorded accordingly
Thinking of Changing Your Company Secretary?
You do not have to stay with a company secretary simply because they have been handling your company for years.
If your current company secretary is no longer meeting your expectations, changing to a more responsive and professional service provider can make your company’s compliance much easier to manage.
However, the incoming company secretary will generally need to understand the company’s background and complete the applicable AML/CFT checks before accepting the engagement. Providing complete and accurate information early can help avoid unnecessary delays.
At CLPC Advisors, we assist companies with the transition to a new company secretary, including the relevant AML/CFT onboarding, documentation, statutory filing and review of existing corporate records.
Our goal is not simply to file documents with SSM. We aim to provide practical corporate secretarial support that helps business owners understand and manage their company’s compliance obligations.
Thinking of switching your company secretary? Contact CLPC Advisors to discuss your requirements.
Prepared & Reviewed By
Pang Cheng Leong
Chartered Accountant | Chartered Tax Practitioner | Licensed Tax Agent | Licensed Company Secretary | CPA(Malaysia) | CPA (Australia) | ACTIM
Managing Director, CLPC Advisors
This article has been prepared for general informational purposes based on the applicable Malaysian corporate and statutory requirements.
About CLPC Advisors
CLPC Advisors is a Malaysian professional services firm providing company secretarial, company incorporation, accounting, corporate tax, tax advisory, payroll, and business advisory services to startups, SMEs and growing businesses and larger companies.
Our team comprises Chartered Accountants, Licensed Tax Agents and Licensed Company Secretaries, providing practical professional support to businesses navigating Malaysia’s corporate, accounting and tax requirements.
Whether you are starting a new company, managing ongoing compliance or looking for a new professional adviser, CLPC Advisors provides practical solutions tailored to your business needs.
Last Updated: 31 August 2026
Disclaimer: This article is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute professional corporate secretarial, legal, accounting, tax or financial advice. Requirements and procedures may change from time to time. Businesses should seek professional advice based on their specific circumstances and the requirements applicable at the relevant time.