MAICSA — Chartered Secretaries Malaysia

MAICSA is the body most Malaysians name when asked who company secretaries answer to — which is a useful shorthand and a misunderstanding. MAICSA qualifies people. SSM licenses them. The two functions are separate, and the gap between them is where a surprising amount of confusion about the profession sits.

At a glance

Field	Detail
Full name	The Malaysian Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators
Common name	MAICSA, also presented as Chartered Secretaries Malaysia
Founded	1959
International affiliation	Founded as an affiliate body of The Chartered Governance Institute (CGI), formerly ICSA; now one of CGI’s divisions
Type	Professional membership institute, not a regulator
Statutory recognition	First body listed in the Fourth Schedule to the Companies Act 2016
Relevant provision	s.235(2)(a), Companies Act 2016
Membership classes	Fellows and Associates, plus Graduates, Students and Affiliates
Reported size	More than 4,200 members and graduates, 1,800 students, 600 affiliates
Website	maicsa.org.my

Standing under the Companies Act 2016

Section 235(2)(a) qualifies a person to be a company secretary if they are a member of a body set out in the Fourth Schedule. MAICSA states that the Government prescribed it as an approved body in the Gazette under that provision.

The Fourth Schedule lists seven bodies in total:

1. Malaysian Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators (MAICSA)
2. Malaysian Institute of Accountants (MIA)
3. Malaysian Bar
4. Malaysian Association of Company Secretaries (MACS)
5. Malaysian Institute of Certified Public Accountants (MICPA)
6. Sabah Law Society
7. Advocates Association of Sarawak

MAICSA’s position at the head of that list reflects its subject-matter focus rather than any superior status — membership of any of the seven satisfies s.235(2)(a) equally.

Note on naming: the Fourth Schedule to Act 777 refers to the Sabah Law Society, while SSM’s Part K FAQ refers to the Sabah Law Association. The statutory wording governs.

Qualification is not authorisation

This is the distinction the entity page exists to make.

MAICSA’s own profile states that its Fellow and Associate members are qualified to act as named company secretaries upon application to the Companies Commission of Malaysia for a practising certificate under s.241 of the Companies Act 2016.

So the sequence runs:

1. Become a Fellow or Associate of MAICSA — this satisfies s.235(2)(a).
2. Apply to SSM under s.241 for a practising certificate, currently RM100.
3. Only then may the person act as a company secretary.

Section 238(1)(c) closes the loop from the other direction: a person who ceases to hold a s.241 practising certificate is disqualified from acting, whatever their MAICSA standing. Membership and certification are independent, and losing either stops you acting.

The alternative route

MAICSA membership is not the only path. Section 235(2)(b) qualifies a person licensed by SSM under s.20G of the Companies Commission of Malaysia Act 2001 — the licence route, valid for three years under s.20G(5) and renewable no later than 30 days before expiry. Practitioners on that route hold no professional body membership at all, and are equally entitled to a s.241 practising certificate.

What MAICSA does beyond qualifying members

MAICSA operates as a technical and professional standards body. It publishes technical announcements to members on regulatory developments — its November 2024 announcement on SSM’s Company Secretary Information Data being one example of material that circulates to practitioners well before it reaches general guidance.

That technical output is well regarded and largely member-facing, which is why authoritative Malaysian secretarial practice is often harder to find publicly than the subject deserves.

Common mistakes

• Treating MAICSA as the regulator. SSM licenses, registers and issues practising certificates. MAICSA confers membership.
• Assuming MAICSA membership alone permits practice. Section 241 requires a practising certificate first.
• Confusing MAICSA with MACS. They are distinct bodies, both in the Fourth Schedule.
• Reading the Fourth Schedule as MAICSA and MIA only. There are seven approved bodies.
• Citing ICSA as a current name. The international body is now The Chartered Governance Institute.

What’s next

To check whether a specific person may lawfully act, the membership is the wrong thing to verify — look for a current s.241 practising certificate and check the secretary through SSM’s Company Secretary Information Data. The qualification guide sets out both routes and the October 2025 changes to certificate renewal.