Published May 24, 2017 · Updated October 13, 2026
SSM is the official registrar for companies and LLPs in Malaysia and for businesses registered under the Registration of Businesses Act 1956 in Peninsular Malaysia and Labuan. Its records change daily, so no static list of companies exists.
In this blog, we discuss how to search SSM records and verify entities. We also cover how to screen a company name before you register. This guide was first published on May 24, 2017 and has been fully updated for 2026.
Where Can You Find a List of Companies in Malaysia?
SSM’s register and SSM e-Info are the official starting points for checking registered entities; third-party directories should only be used as leads.
SSM — known locally as Suruhanjaya Syarikat Malaysia — is the body behind the national register. It incorporates companies under the Companies Act 2016 and registers sole proprietorships and partnerships under the Registration of Businesses Act 1956. Limited liability partnerships fall under the Limited Liability Partnership Act 2012.
Because SSM performs the functions of the Registrar of Companies, its records are the authoritative source. Well over a million companies and businesses sit on the register. Among them are many IT companies in Malaysia, from multinational support centres to homegrown software firms. It changes daily as new entities are incorporated and dormant ones are struck off.
SSM offers paid, customised company listings in bulk Excel format through its authorised information portals. Some commercial websites advertise a directory of Malaysian companies, but they merely republish registry data. Always confirm what you find against the official register before relying on it.
How Do You Check an Existing Company in Malaysia?
Search the official SSM e-Info portal by name or registration number. Then choose the profile, certificate or particulars that match the purpose of your check.
SSM e-Info is the official authorised portal for searching and purchasing corporate information on companies, businesses and LLPs registered in Malaysia. Search using the registered name or registration number, then select the relevant information product.
Available products include company and business profiles, certificates, registered-address particulars, director or officer particulars, shareholder particulars, share-capital particulars, charges information and LLP profiles. The information and document type should match the purpose of the check.
Do not assume that every search result is free or that one document suits every purpose. SSM e-Info publishes separate prices for non-certified true copy and certified true copy products, with additional charges or taxes potentially applying. Check the current price list before purchase.
- Sign in to SSM e-Info.
- Search by the entity’s name or registration number.
- Review the available information products.
- Purchase the profile, certificate or particulars required for your verification or due-diligence file.
How Do You Check If a Company Name Is Available?
A preliminary check can identify obvious conflicts, but only an application through SSM’s CRS can reserve a company name or determine formal availability.
The Companies Act 2016 lets the Registrar refuse a name that is identical to an existing or reserved business-entity name. The Registrar may also refuse a name that is otherwise undesirable. Certain words also require consent from other authorities before SSM will accept them.
We screen intended names free of charge through our Free Malaysia Company Name Check. In practice, this catches most conflicts before anything is filed. It is worth doing, because an unacceptable name is the most common reason an incorporation application is rejected.
Our overview of company names explains how SSM assesses similarity and prohibited words in more detail. We also help clients shortlist two or three back-up names alongside their preferred choice, which avoids most delays at the registration stage.
What Are the Main Reasons to Search the Company Register?
Most searches fall into four intents — verifying a legal entity, running due diligence, researching competitors and clearing a new name.
Knowing your intent tells you which source to use and how deep the search needs to go. Each purpose is distinct, and the four below cover almost every situation we encounter.
1. Verifying a Legal Entity
Confirm the business genuinely exists and remains active on the register. This matters because a company incorporated under the Companies Act 2016 is a separate legal entity, while a sole proprietorship or partnership is not. The entity type you find determines whether the limited liability protection you expect actually exists.
2. Due Diligence on Partners and Suppliers
For meaningful due diligence, order the relevant company profile, certificate, charges information or particulars from SSM e-Info. Select a certified true copy option where the bank, legal adviser or other recipient specifically requires it.
Check the entity type, current registered particulars and available status information against the transaction you are considering. If the records raise a concern, obtain advice before relying on the entity.
3. Competitor and Market Research
Searching the register reveals who else operates in your industry and where they are based. If you are starting a coffee shop business in Malaysia, name searches help map the local landscape. Even large players — including many multinational companies in Malaysia — sit on the same register.
4. Clearing and Protecting Your Brand
A register check is only the first layer of protection, because registered trade marks are governed separately by the national intellectual property office. Our guide on How Do You Register a Trademark in Malaysia? explains how to secure the brand once the name is cleared.
Where to Search Company Information in Malaysia
| Search Purpose | Source | Likely Information | Limitations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Verify an existing company | SSM online search and e-Info | Registered name, registration number, status, incorporation date | Certified copies carry an SSM fee for each document |
| Check a company name's availability | SSM name search or professional screening | Whether identical or similar names are already taken | Final approval always rests with the Registrar |
| Research a listed company | Bursa Malaysia filings | Annual reports, announcements, shareholding disclosures | Covers publicly listed companies only |
| Screen a brand for conflicts | National trade mark register | Registered trade marks in Malaysia | Does not cover unregistered or common-law usage |
Free Versus Paid Company Search Routes
| Route | What You Get | Cost Basis | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| SSM basic online search | Company name, registration number, entity type, status | Free | Quick verification of an existing company |
| SSM e-Info documents | Certified company profile and incorporation certificates | Official SSM fee per document | Due diligence, banking and legal use |
| 3E Accounting name check | Screening of an intended company name | Free | Confirming a name before incorporation |
| Bursa Malaysia website | Annual reports and announcements of listed companies | Free | Investor and competitor research |
What Company Information Is Free and What Must You Pay For?
SSM e-Info information is purchased by product. Bursa Malaysia materials are publicly available for listed issuers. MyIPO records address trade mark searches separately.
SSM e-Info is designed for targeted entity checks. Users search for a company, business or LLP and select the profile, certificate, particulars or other record needed. Published prices distinguish between non-certified true copy and certified true copy products, so confirm the required format and current charges before proceeding.
Listed companies are different. Bursa Malaysia publishes announcements and annual reports for listed issuers, which can add useful public context for investment, supplier or competitor research. It does not replace an SSM entity search for a legal-entity check.
Trade mark research is separate again. Use MyIPO’s online trade mark search tools alongside the SSM route when a proposed name will be used as a brand.
What Should You Do Once You Have Found the Company?
Match the next step to your objective. Obtain the relevant SSM document for an existing entity, or use CRS to apply for a proposed company name.
- Check that the status shows as live and active before you rely on the entity.
- Buy a certified company profile for any formal due-diligence file.
- For a new venture, screen your intended name and proceed to incorporation once it clears.
- Protect the name with a trade mark registration after the company is formed.
Understanding the different types of Malaysia company entities helps you choose the right structure before you file. If your plans involve doing business in Malaysia for the first time, incorporation can follow within days of a cleared name check.
Conclusion
Use SSM e-Info for existing-entity information and SSM’s CRS for formal company-name availability, then run a separate MyIPO trade mark search for brand protection.
Malaysia does not rely on a static master directory for reliable company verification. SSM’s live register, accessed through SSM e-Info, is the appropriate route for searching and purchasing information on existing companies, businesses and LLPs.
Keep an entity check separate from a proposed-name application. Use e-Info to examine an existing record, CRS to reserve a name or proceed with direct incorporation, and MyIPO to consider trade mark conflicts. As a technology-driven Corporate Services Provider, we help clients screen proposed names, interpret the appropriate search route and prepare for incorporation.
Need a Name Check or a Company Search?
Our team runs free company name checks, SSM record searches and full incorporation support for businesses entering Malaysia.
Frequently Asked Questions
Use SSM e-Info to search by the registered name or registration number. Then select and purchase the profile, certificate or particulars needed for your verification or due-diligence purpose.
Use a preliminary screen to shortlist names, then submit a formal application through SSM’s CRS as a verified individual or professional user. Name reservation costs RM50 for every 30 days or part of 30 days, up to 180 days, and the Registrar makes the final decision.
Check the entity type in the SSM information you purchase. A company incorporated under the Companies Act 2016 is a separate legal entity, while a sole proprietorship or partnership is not.
SSM e-Info prices depend on the product and format selected. Its published prices include RM15.40 for a non-certified true copy company profile and RM30.80 for a certified true copy company profile; check the portal for current charges, service fees and taxes before purchase. A formal company-name reservation costs RM50 for every 30 days or part of 30 days.
For an existing entity, purchase the relevant SSM information product and assess it against your transaction. For a new venture, apply through CRS for name reservation or direct incorporation, then conduct a separate MyIPO trade mark search before committing to the brand.
Abigail Yu
Director
Abigail Yu oversees executive leadership at 3E Accounting Group, leading operations, IT solutions, public relations, and digital marketing to drive business success. She holds an honors degree in Communication and New Media from the National University of Singapore and is highly skilled in crisis management, financial communication, and corporate communications.
