Company Secretary

Company Secretaries ensure an organisation complies with the relevant regulations of regulatory bodies and maintains corporate governance.

No, Company Secretaries are not secretaries that work in a company. They are responsible for the compliance of a company in areas such as the Companies Act 2016 and corporate governance. That means ensuring that a company complies with the relevant regulations. This entails proper record keeping and updating of company records and timely filings and submission to regulatory and oversight bodies such as Companies Commission Malaysia (“CCM”), Bursa Malaysia and Securities Commission.

It takes a few years before you can qualify to become a Company Secretary in Malaysia as you need to be either registered under MIA as a chartered accountant, MAICSA as a chartered secretary, license as a secretary under CCM or registered as a lawyer. A good command of languages is a must as you will need to interpret legal documents and give advice on a daily basis.  You will work primarily in an office setting with the standard working hours of 9-5. However, there may be a need to work longer hours if there is a regulatory deadline for submissions. At the top end, Company Secretaries who work for large listed companies can be rewarded with a high salary and big bonuses.