Buying shares on Bursa Malaysia requires a Central Depository System (CDS) account, which holds your shares electronically, plus a trading account with a licensed broker (an Authorised Depository Agent) that places your orders. An individual aged 18 or older can open a CDS account either through the free Bursa Anywhere mobile app or at a broker's office, uploading a copy of their MyKad and a bank statement. Each completed trade then carries three costs: the broker's commission, a 0.03% clearing fee, and stamp duty of RM1 per RM1,000 of value.
- You need both a CDS account (holds the shares) and a trading account with a broker (places the orders) — they are separate things
- Any individual aged 18 or older as at the application date can open a direct CDS account
- The Bursa Anywhere app opens a CDS account with no sign-up or annual maintenance fee; you upload your MyKad (front and back) and a bank statement or passbook
- The clearing fee is 0.03% of transaction value, capped at RM1,000 per contract, payable on both the buy and the sell
- Stamp duty is RM1 for every RM1,000 (or part) of transaction value — about 0.1% — payable by both buyer and seller, capped at RM1,000
Who this applies to: Malaysian retail investors who want to start buying and selling shares listed on Bursa Malaysia.
On this page
Owning a slice of Maybank or Tenaga starts with two accounts, not one — and neither of them is a bank account. Before you can buy a single share on Bursa Malaysia, you need a place to hold the shares and a place to place the order. Here is how the two fit together, and what each trade actually costs.
What do I actually need to start?
Two separate accounts:
- A CDS account (Central Depository System) — an electronic account, run by Bursa Malaysia Depository, that records the shares you own. Buy a stock and it lands here; sell it and it leaves from here.
- A trading account with a broker — formally an Authorised Depository Agent (ADA). This is the firm that actually routes your buy and sell orders to the market.
The CDS account is the vault; the trading account is the counter you place orders at. You need both, and the trading account is always opened with a licensed broker.
Who can open a CDS account, and how?
Any individual who has reached the age of 18 as at the application date can open a direct CDS account, as either a beneficial owner or an authorised nominee. There are two routes:
- Bursa Anywhere app — Bursa Malaysia’s official mobile app, available on the Apple App Store and Google Play. You open the CDS account yourself, then still link a trading account with a broker.
- Through a broker (ADA) — apply in person or online with your chosen brokerage, which opens the CDS and trading accounts together.
Opening a CDS account on Bursa Anywhere carries no joining or annual maintenance fee. During registration you upload two documents:
| Document | What to provide |
|---|---|
| MyKad | Clear photos of the front and back |
| Bank proof | A bank statement or passbook (PDF or screenshot) showing the bank name, logo, account holder name and account number |
Registering on the app does not lock you out of the branch: you can still perform CDS transactions at your broker’s office whenever you prefer.
What will each trade cost me?
Three charges apply, and each is levied on both the buy and the sell:
| Charge | Rate | Cap / notes |
|---|---|---|
| Brokerage commission | Set by your broker | The largest component for most retail trades; brokerage on Bursa-listed shares is currently exempt from service tax |
| Clearing fee | 0.03% of transaction value | Capped at RM1,000 per contract |
| Stamp duty | RM1 for every RM1,000 (or part) of value — about 0.1% | Capped at RM1,000 per contract |
So a RM10,000 buy incurs roughly RM3 in clearing fees and RM10 in stamp duty, plus whatever your broker charges in commission — and you pay a comparable set again when you sell. Because these costs repeat on both legs, frequent small trades are proportionately expensive.
What’s next
Compare brokers before you commit: commission rates are set by each firm, so the platform, research access and minimum charges vary widely. Read our companion piece on Bursa Malaysia’s listing boards and index mechanics to understand what you are buying, and the Securities Commission Malaysia overview to see who regulates the market. If picking individual stocks feels daunting, unit trust funds offer a pooled, professionally managed alternative.
What is a CDS account and why do I need one?
A Central Depository System (CDS) account is an electronic account, maintained by Bursa Malaysia Depository, that records the shares you own. When you buy a listed stock the shares are credited into your CDS account; when you sell, they are debited from it. You cannot trade Bursa-listed shares without one.
Do I still need a broker if I open a CDS account through Bursa Anywhere?
Yes. Bursa Anywhere lets you open the CDS account itself, but you must also open a trading account with an Authorised Depository Agent (a licensed broker) to actually place buy and sell orders. The CDS account holds the shares; the broker executes the trades.
Is there a fee to open or maintain a CDS account on Bursa Anywhere?
No. Bursa Malaysia states there are no joining or annual maintenance fees for registering on Bursa Anywhere.
Who can open a CDS account?
An individual who has reached the age of 18 as at the application date can open a direct CDS account, as either a beneficial owner or an authorised nominee. Corporations, societies, co-operatives and statutory bodies can also open accounts under the relevant provisions of Malaysian law.
What are the costs of each trade?
Three charges apply on both the buy and the sell: the broker's commission (set by your broker), a clearing fee of 0.03% of transaction value capped at RM1,000, and stamp duty of RM1 per RM1,000 (or fractional part) of value, capped at RM1,000. Brokerage on shares listed on Bursa Malaysia is currently exempt from service tax.
The following are deliberately unstated or described only qualitatively until confirmed by a subject-matter expert:
- Stamp duty is currently RM1 per RM1,000 (~0.1%), capped at RM1,000. The rate was raised to 0.15% from 1 Jan 2022 and reverted to 0.1% effective July 2023 — confirm the 0.1% rate and RM1,000 cap are still in force at publication.
- Service tax (SST) exemption for brokerage / securities trading fees on Bursa-listed shares — confirm the exemption is still current against the latest Bursa Malaysia SST FAQ / Royal Malaysian Customs (MySST) guidance, given the October 2025 SST expansion on financial services.
- Bursa Anywhere document requirements (MyKad front and back, plus a bank statement or passbook) and the no-fee position — confirm against the live app flow, which can change.
- Bursa Anywhere distribution (Apple App Store and Google Play) — confirm current availability; store listings and the Bursa Assist pages bot-block automated fetch, so figures here were confirmed from search result titles and snippets rather than full page fetches.
Sources
- Transaction Costs (Equities) — Bursa Malaysia
- The Cost of Stock Trading in Malaysia: Hidden Fees Investors Should Know — Phillip Capital Malaysia
- SST Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs), updated 1 July 2025 — Bursa Malaysia
- Who can open a CDS account? — Bursa Malaysia (Bursa Assist)
- Who is eligible to register for Bursa Anywhere? — Bursa Malaysia (Bursa Assist)
- How do I submit the required supporting documents when opening a CDS account on Bursa Anywhere? — Bursa Malaysia (Bursa Assist)
- Is there a joining or annual maintenance fee for registering on Bursa Anywhere? — Bursa Malaysia (Bursa Assist)
- Bursa Anywhere on the App Store — Apple App Store
- Bursa Anywhere on Google Play — Google Play
Change history
| Version | Date | Change | By |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01.00 | 1 Aug 2026 | Approved and published. | — |