SSM Status 308/550 Meaning: Why a Malaysian Company Shows as Being Struck Off, the Status Labels on an SSM Profile, How to Check, and How to Object Within 60 Days (2026)

You run an SSM search on a supplier, a customer who owes you money, or your own company, and the result mentions "308/550". The numbers are two section numbers from Malaysian company law, and they mean the same thing: the company is on its way to being struck off the register. This guide explains where the label comes from, what the status labels on an SSM company profile mean, how to check, and what to do next. That depends on whether the company is your own, one you do business with, or one that owes you money.

Quick answer (as at October 2026): "Status 308/550" is SSM's label for a company whose name is being struck off the register. Section 308 of the old Companies Act 1965 and section 550 of the Companies Act 2016 are the striking-off provisions. A company in this process shows as "Existing – Striking Off in Process" and becomes "Dissolved" once the gazette under section 551(3) is published. SSM lists affected companies in batch notifications under section 551(1). Under SSM's guidelines revised on 14 July 2026, objections are lodged in SSM's Corporate Registry System (CRS) within 60 days of the date in that notice, with an RM300 fee. A dissolved company can be restored only by the court, within 7 years (section 555(1)).

Why the label has two numbers

Malaysia replaced the Companies Act 1965 with the Companies Act 2016 on 31 January 2017. Under the old Act, section 308 let the Registrar strike off a defunct company. Under the new Act, the same idea is split across several sections: paragraph 549(a) gives the Registrar the power to strike off a company that is not carrying on business or not in operation, section 550 lets a director or member apply for it, and section 551 sets out the notice and gazette procedure.

Some companies on the register entered the process under the old Act and some under the new one, so SSM keeps a single service and a single label covering both: Status 308/550. On SSM's website it sits under Services → Other Services → Status 308/550, described as the status of an application to strike off a company under S308 of the Companies Act 1965 or S550 of the Companies Act 2016. Next to it is Notification 308/550, where SSM publishes the batches of companies it has issued notices for.

So "308/550" does not tell you which route started the process. The Registrar may form the view that a company is not operating from his own records, for example years of unlodged annual returns, or because a director or member applied. The status looks the same from outside.

The status labels you will see on an SSM profile

When you buy a Company Profile from one of SSM's authorised portals, or run the free e-Search, the company's status appears near the top. These are the labels relevant to striking off and closure:

If an objection is upheld and the process is discontinued, SSM's 2026 guidelines say the status returns from "Existing – Striking Off in Process" to "Existing". The Registrar can still start the process again later, either on his own motion or on a fresh application.

How to check a company's 308/550 status

1. Free e-Search on ssm.com.my. Enter the registration number. It returns the name and status, which is enough to see whether a strike-off is under way.
2. SSM's Status 308/550 service. Under Other Services on the SSM website, it reports the status of a strike-off application for a given company.
3. Notification 308/550 batches. SSM publishes the companies it has issued section 551(1) notices for in dated batches. If you need to know when the clock started, this is where to look.
4. Company Profile (RM10 SSM fee plus the portal's service charge). Shows status together with directors, shareholders, registered and business address and charges. Use it when money is at stake. Our guide on how to check a company in Malaysia explains each SSM report and what it costs.

If it is your own company and you did not apply

This is the case that surprises people. A company that has stopped lodging annual returns and financial statements can end up in a Registrar-initiated strike-off, because SSM's records suggest it is no longer operating. Owners abroad often learn about it from a bank, a landlord or a tender board, not from SSM.

If the company is still trading, or you need it to continue, act straight away:

1. Confirm the status and the notice date from the Status 308/550 service and the notification batch.
2. Lodge an objection in CRS. Section 552(1)(a) covers a company that is still carrying on business or has a valid reason to continue. The guidelines ask for a statutory declaration confirming this, with the RM300 fee.
3. Bring the filings up to date. Lodge every overdue annual return under Section 68 and the financial statements, and settle any compounds. An objection buys time, but the gaps in your record are what started the process.
4. Check your company secretary and registered office. Notices go to the registered office. If your secretary resigned or the address is out of date, you may never have received them.

If it is your own company and you did apply

Then 308/550 is simply your application working its way through. Two rules matter while you wait. First, the company still exists until the gazette, so annual returns and financial statements that fall due must still be lodged; a new compound would break the "no outstanding penalties" requirement your application relies on. Second, you can withdraw within 60 days of the notice date with an RM500 fee, for example if a buyer for the company appears. Our Section 550 strike-off guide covers the eleven eligibility requirements and the CRS filing step by step.

If the company owes you money or is your counterparty

A creditor has a statutory ground to object. Section 552(1)(d) covers a person who is a creditor, member or party with an undischarged claim against the company. The guidelines ask for a letter of demand, proof of debt or the sealed court papers. Lodge the objection before the window closes and before the gazette is published. After dissolution, recovering the debt means first persuading a court to restore the company.

If the company is a supplier or customer you are about to sign with, stop and ask why. A company in "Existing – Striking Off in Process" cannot give you a durable warranty, a long lease or a performance guarantee. Ask the directors whether they applied for the strike-off or whether SSM started it, and ask to see the latest lodged annual return and accounts.

After dissolution: restoration and records

When the gazette under section 551(3) is published, the company is dissolved. Any person aggrieved by the strike-off can apply to the court within seven years of dissolution to restore the company to the register under section 555(1). This is a court application, with legal fees and evidence, which is why objecting during the notice period is far cheaper than restoring afterwards.

The directors also keep a duty after dissolution. The guidelines require them to retain all registers, books, statutory records and accounting records for seven years after the strike-off and to produce them if the Registrar asks.

What to do next

If you are weighing whether a dormant company is worth keeping at all, our analysis of what a dormant company costs each year compares the two routes.

ONEKEY BIZ handles both directions. When you want the company closed, our SSM strike off service under Section 550 prepares the eligibility checks, nil accounts, waivers, tax clearance and the CRS filing. When you need the company to survive, we lodge the objection, catch up the missed Section 68 annual returns and put a licensed company secretary and registered office in place. Talk to us or WhatsApp +60 12-321 1349.

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.