Company Name Changed in Malaysia? What Else You Must Update in 2026 — Bank, LHDN, SST, CIDB, Licences, Signboards and Contracts After the Section 28 Notice

Getting SSM to approve a new company name is the fast part. Most name changes clear SSM within a few working days of the special resolution, yet companies are still receiving payments to the old name, issuing e-invoices in the old name and tendering under the old CIDB certificate two months later. The Companies Act 2016 treats a renamed company as the same company, but every agency, bank and customer that holds the name keeps its own copy of it, and SSM does not update any of them for you. This guide covers what changes and what does not, the order in which to update each record, the deadlines that carry penalties (CIDB's is the tightest) and the 12-month rule for printing the old name that most companies forget.

Quick answer: a change of company name in Malaysia takes effect on the date SSM issues the notice of registration of the new name (section 28(4), Companies Act 2016). The company number, tax identification number, contracts and licences carry over because the legal entity is unchanged. But every bank, tax, CIDB, council and customer record showing the name must be updated, and the former name must appear beneath the new one for at least 12 months (section 30(4)).

What changes, and what stays the same

Section 28(5) of the Companies Act 2016 says a change of name does not affect the rights or obligations of the company, and does not render defective any legal proceedings by or against it. Section 28(6) adds that proceedings which could have been brought under the old name may be continued or started under the new one. In practice, that settles the question most clients ask first: no, you do not need to re-sign your contracts, re-apply for your licences from scratch or open a new tax file. The same company simply has a new name.

What changes is every record of the name. SSM does not push your new name to the bank, LHDN, Customs, CIDB, the local council or your customers. Each of them has to be told, in its own format and sometimes within its own deadline.

The SSM step itself: section 28 in brief

The legal process is short. The shareholders pass a special resolution (at least 75% of votes, at a meeting or by written resolution) approving the new name, and the company must notify SSM within 30 days of the resolution (section 28(2)). SSM's own guideline sets out two lodgements, and says only the company's existing company secretary may lodge them:

1. Name search and reservation — RM50. If approved, the name is reserved for 30 days from the approval notification.
2. Application for change of name under section 28(1) — RM100, lodged within those 30 days with a copy of the reservation and its approval email.

SSM states that it issues the notice of change of name within one working day of a complete submission; a certificate of change of name is available on request for a further fee. The name takes legal effect on the date of that notice, not on the date of the resolution. A company and every officer that breaches section 28 is liable to a fine of up to RM50,000 (section 28(8)).

If you would rather hand the whole of this to a licensed secretary, our change company name in Malaysia service covers the name search, resolution, section 28 lodgement and the notice, with SSM fees charged at cost.

The 12-month rule for the former name

Section 30 requires every company to display its registered name and registration number at its registered office, at every place where it carries on business and wherever its books are kept. It must also show them on business letters, notices, websites, invoices, receipts, order forms, cheques and "all other forms of its business correspondence and documentation." Section 30(4) then adds the requirement that most renamed companies miss: after a change under section 28, the former name must appear beneath the present registered name for not less than twelve months from the date of the change.

A compliant letterhead or invoice footer therefore reads, for example:

ABC Smart Energy (M) Sdn. Bhd. (202301012345)
formerly known as ABC Technology (M) Sdn. Bhd.

Put a date in the calendar twelve months after the notice and remove the "formerly known as" line then. If the company goes into winding up within a year of the name change, section 28(7) requires both names to appear on every winding-up notice and advertisement.

The update order that avoids payment and tender problems

Sequence matters because some records depend on others. A bank will not change the account name until it sees the SSM notice; CIDB will not accept the amendment until SSM's data has propagated; your customers cannot pay the new name until the bank has changed it. The order below is the one we use.

CIDB contractors: the tightest clock

If the company holds a CIDB registration, the name change starts a deadline that carries a fine. CIDB's own procedure manual for updating company details states that every contractor must notify CIDB of any change in its particulars within 30 days of the change, and that under section 39 of Act 520 (as amended in 2011) a contractor that fails to do so may be fined up to RM5,000.

There is a catch that squeezes the 30 days. For companies registered with SSM, CIDB draws the company data from SSM, and the manual says the amendment can only be lodged 14 days after the change has been sent to SSM. That leaves roughly two weeks to lodge. The application goes through CIMS, and the manual lists a RM30 processing fee plus a RM100 registration fee where the change alters the details printed on the PPK certificate, which a name change does.

Remember everything else that carries the name: the SPKK and STB certificates, green cards issued under the company, performance bonds and bank guarantees, and the contractor details on any tender that is still open. A tender submitted in the old name after the change has taken effect is a mismatch between the bidder and the registered contractor. Our CIDB guide for foreign contractors explains how the grade, SPKK and STB certificates fit together.

Tax, SST and e-invoicing

A name change does not create a new taxpayer. The company's income tax number and TIN stay the same, and so does its SST registration number. What goes wrong is the name attached to those numbers.

• LHDN. Update the company's particulars with the LHDN branch that handles its file, attaching the SSM notice. MyInvois reads the supplier's details from LHDN's record, so an e-invoice issued before the update will still carry the old name.
• Your ERP or invoicing software. Change the company name in the software on the effective date, and add the "formerly known as" line to the invoice template for the 12-month period required by section 30(4).
• Your buyers. Large customers validate your TIN and name when they receive an e-invoice or set you up as a vendor. Send them the notice before the first invoice in the new name, or expect rejected invoices and delayed payment.
• SST. If the company is SST-registered, amend its particulars in MySST; SST invoices must show the registered name.

For the e-invoice mechanics, including validation and what buyers can reject, see our e-invoice guide for foreign companies.

Company name or a new brand? Choosing the right change

Many companies that ask us about a name change only want a new brand. If the aim is a new trading name for one product line, shop or market, the company does not have to change its legal name. It also cannot register an "Enterprise"-style business name for it: section 4(a) of the Registration of Businesses Act 1956 excludes any business owned and carried on exclusively by a company. Instead, the company uses the brand as a trade mark, registered with MyIPO if it matters, and keeps its registered name and number on its premises, website, invoices and letters as section 30 requires. Sole proprietors and partnerships have a different problem, because their business name cannot be changed at all. We cover that in how to change a business name in Malaysia.

Worked example: a Shenzhen-owned contractor renames

A Sdn Bhd owned by a Shenzhen parent, trading as ABC Technology (M) Sdn. Bhd., holds a CIDB G4 registration, is registered for SST, employs two Employment Pass holders and banks with one local bank. After a group restructuring it becomes ABC Smart Energy (M) Sdn. Bhd..

• Day 1: name search lodged (RM50). Approved the same week; reserved for 30 days.
• Day 5: written special resolution signed by the parent as sole shareholder; section 28 application lodged by the company secretary (RM100).
• Day 6: SSM issues the notice of registration of the new name. This is the effective date. ERP and invoice templates switch; "formerly known as ABC Technology (M) Sdn. Bhd." added to all letterheads and invoices.
• Days 6–15: bank account name change submitted; notice letters sent to the 20 largest customers and suppliers; LHDN and MySST particulars updated.
• Day 20 onwards: 14 days after the SSM change, the CIDB amendment is lodged in CIMS (RM30 + RM100 for the new PPK). It must be in before day 36 to stay inside CIDB's 30-day rule.
• Weeks 4–8: council premise licence and signboard, EPF/SOCSO/HRD Corp, ESD company profile, insurance and tenancy notices. Twelve-month reminder set for removing the former-name line.

Common mistakes we see

1. Invoicing in the new name before SSM's notice. The name only takes effect on the date of the notice (s.28(4)).
2. Dropping the old name immediately. Section 30(4) requires it beneath the new name for at least 12 months, on documents and the website.
3. Missing CIDB's 30 days. The 14-day wait for SSM data leaves about two weeks to lodge.
4. Changing the name in the middle of a licence application. The approval then arrives in a name that no longer exists, and has to be amended straight away.
5. Forgetting the bank last. Customers pay the new name into an account still held in the old name, and payments bounce or sit in suspense.
6. Assuming you need new contracts. You do not. A notice letter that cites section 28(5) is enough; renegotiating is optional, not required.

How we handle a name change for you

Because only the existing company secretary can lodge the application, the name change is best run by the secretary who already holds your records. ONEKEY BIZ prepares the name search, the special resolution in English, the section 28 lodgement, and a tailored update checklist for your bank, LHDN, SST, CIDB and council records. The fee is a fixed RM600, and SSM's RM150 is charged at cost with the official receipt. See the company name change service for what is included, or read our overview of the 14-day and 30-day SSM clocks for every other post-incorporation change. For a specific case, such as a contractor, an SST-registered trader or a company mid-way through a licence application, contact our team and we will map the order of updates with you.

This article is general information only, not legal, tax or immigration advice. Policies, thresholds and official fees are set by the relevant Malaysian authorities and may change. Talk to our consultants about your specific situation.