Company Secretary Fee Malaysia 2026: Prices, Hidden Charges & What to Compare
How much should a Malaysian Sdn Bhd pay for a company secretary in 2026? Compare current public pricing, SSM fees, package inclusions and common extra charges.
What does a company secretary cost?
There is no statutory professional fee. Current public 2026 price lists show basic retainers from roughly RM40–RM70 per month at some providers, while broader packages can run RM100–RM180 per month or more. The important number is the total annual cost after annual return, registered office, resolutions, corporate changes, SST and SSM fees.
1. Why every Sdn Bhd needs a company secretary
SSM states that the first company secretary must be appointed within 30 days from incorporation. The person must meet statutory eligibility requirements, including being a natural person aged at least 18, a Malaysian citizen or permanent resident ordinarily resident in Malaysia, and appropriately licensed or professionally qualified.
The secretary is therefore not simply an optional admin service. But the Companies Act requirement to have a qualified secretary does not mean the government fixes the secretary's professional fee. Providers package the work differently.
2. What the market looks like in 2026
Public pricing gives useful benchmarks. Altomate's price list, updated January 2026, advertises RM40/month for its Basic plan, RM100/month for Essential and RM180/month for Pro, billed annually, with different inclusions. Ashton Corporate publicly states a RM70 + SST monthly retainer. Other firms advertise similar low-hundreds monthly pricing, while traditional firms may price work separately.
These are examples—not a declaration that one provider is best. They demonstrate why “company secretary fee” cannot be compared without the scope.
| Pricing model | What you may see | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Low retainer | Around RM40–RM80/month in some public offers | Annual return, registered office and resolutions may or may not be included. |
| Mid-tier package | Around RM100/month | Often adds filings/support, but check SSM fees and limits. |
| Higher package | Around RM180/month or more | May include more resolutions, servicing or filing work. |
| Traditional itemised model | Retainer + fee per corporate action | Can suit stable companies, but active companies should estimate extras. |
3. The RM150 annual return fee is an SSM fee, not your secretary's total fee
SSM's Table of Fees currently lists RM150 for lodging the annual return of a private company. A secretary may also charge professional fees for preparing and submitting the return. Some packages bundle that work; others charge it separately. When a provider says “annual return RMxxx”, ask which portion is SSM's statutory fee and which portion is professional service.
4. What should a basic secretary retainer include?
At minimum, you are paying for a qualified person to act as the named secretary and for ongoing corporate compliance administration. Depending on the provider, a package may also include maintenance of statutory registers, compliance reminders, registered-office address, document storage and routine advice.
The package should be explicit. “Company secretary included” is too vague. Ask for an inclusion list and a schedule of additional charges.
5. Registered office: included or extra?
SSM requires a company to have a registered office in Malaysia where communications and notices can be addressed. Many secretarial providers offer their address as part of a package, while others charge separately. This is especially relevant to founders working from home or overseas who do not want to use their operating address as the registered office.
Also distinguish a registered office from a virtual office, mail-handling service or business operating address. They are not necessarily the same service.
6. Where the extra charges usually appear
| Corporate action | Why it can cost extra |
|---|---|
| Change of director / secretary | Requires preparation and/or statutory notification. |
| Share allotment or transfer | Corporate records and supporting documents must be updated. |
| Change of registered address | Requires records and statutory notification. |
| Bank resolution | Some banks require formal board resolutions or certified documents. |
| Certified true copies | Often requested by banks, investors and authorities. |
| Change of business nature / constitution | Can require resolutions, filings and professional review. |
| Strike-off | A separate project involving eligibility checks, documents and follow-up. |
One public 2026 price list illustrates the difference clearly: its cheapest plan covers the licensed secretary, registered office and monitoring, while annual-return preparation and financial-statement filing appear only in higher plans. This is why a RM40/month plan and RM100/month plan are not necessarily competing for exactly the same work.
7. Cheap vs expensive: what actually matters?
For a one-director consultancy with no corporate changes, a low-cost digital provider may be perfectly adequate. For a company expecting investors, share transfers, multiple directors, financing, employee share arrangements or frequent corporate actions, responsiveness and technical capability can matter more than saving RM30 a month.
Consider who actually answers your questions. Some platforms are highly automated; others give you a dedicated executive. Neither model is automatically better. Choose based on how much corporate activity you expect.
8. A realistic annual comparison
| Example package | Retainer assumption | Possible annual total before unusual work |
|---|---|---|
| Lean digital | RM40–RM70/month | Roughly RM480–RM840 retainer, then check filings/SSM/SST/extras. |
| Broader SME package | RM100/month | Around RM1,200 retainer before confirming what statutory fees are included. |
| Higher-service package | RM180/month | Around RM2,160 retainer, potentially with broader included work. |
Do not treat these as mandatory market prices. They are a way to normalise quotations. A RM600 annual package that excludes every filing can ultimately cost more than a RM1,200 package that includes the work your company actually needs.
9. Ten questions to ask before appointing a secretary
- Is the named secretary licensed/qualified and who will be my day-to-day contact?
- What is the total annual retainer including SST?
- Is the registered-office address included?
- Is annual-return preparation included?
- Is the RM150 SSM annual-return fee included or separate?
- Is financial-statement lodgement included?
- How many standard board resolutions are included?
- What do director/shareholder/share-capital changes cost?
- Are certified true copies charged separately?
- What happens to my records and what are the transfer fees if I change secretary?
10. Can you change company secretary later?
Yes, companies can change their company-secretarial provider, but the transition should be managed properly. Before switching, ask the new provider about transfer procedures, outstanding filings, corporate records and any termination or handover charges imposed by the existing provider. Do not wait until a statutory deadline to begin the move.
11. Should you bundle secretary, accounting and tax?
Bundling can be convenient because one provider already has your corporate records and financial information. It can also reduce duplicated requests. But convenience should not stop you from comparing scope and competence. A good company-secretarial firm is not automatically the best bookkeeper or tax adviser, and vice versa.
Bottom line
For most small Sdn Bhd owners, the right question is not “who has the cheapest monthly company secretary?” It is “what will I pay over 12 months for the compliance work my company will actually need?” Compare the full package, statutory fees and common extras. For a quiet owner-managed company, simplicity and predictable pricing are usually more valuable than a long list of features you will never use.
Related BizSetupMY guides
Official and pricing references
Rules and commercial pricing change. These are the main sources used for this 2026 review:
- SSM secretary appointment requirements
- SSM Table of Fees
- Altomate 2026 company secretary price list
- Ashton Corporate company secretary services
Get a practical starting point
Use the BizSetupMY Business Setup Finder to narrow down the services and software that may fit your business.
Important
This article is general educational information, not legal, tax, accounting or financial advice. Official rules, bank requirements and provider prices can change. Confirm current requirements with the relevant authority, bank or professional before acting.
Last reviewed: 15 August 2026.