Where Your SSM Registration Number Is Used

By Axecta Management Services, Kuala Lumpur · Last verified: 29 October 2026

The legal starting point: section 30 of the Companies Act 2016

The place where the law links a company to its registration number in everyday documents is section 30 of the Companies Act 2016.pdf), headed “Publication of name”. It has three parts.

Display (s30(1)). A company must display its registered name and company registration number at:

• its registered office;
• every place where its business is carried on; and
• every place where its books are kept.

Disclosure (s30(2)). A company must disclose its registered name and company registration number on:

• its business letters, notices and other official publications, including in electronic form;
• its websites;
• its bills of exchange, promissory notes, endorsements and order forms;
• cheques purporting to be signed by or on behalf of the company;
• orders, invoices and other demands for payment, receipts and letters of credit purporting to be issued or signed by or on behalf of the company; and
• all other forms of its business correspondence and documentation.

Manner and name changes (s30(3) and (4)). The Registrar determines the manner in which a registered name is to be displayed or disclosed. If a company changed its name under section 28 or 29, the former name must appear beneath the present registered name for not less than twelve months from the date of the change.

Offence (s30(5)). The company and every officer who contravenes the section commit an offence. The penalty is not stated in section 30 itself; ask your company secretary or lawyer about the applicable penalty provision.

SSM’s announcement of the 12-character format means “company registration number” in section 30 now refers to the 12-character number. Other provisions follow the same logic. A company with a common seal must have its name and registration number engraved on the seal in legible romanised characters (s61(2)). A foreign company registered in Malaysia must state its name, company number and place of incorporation on similar documents and on its websites (s565).

Where it appears in practice

The first five rows come from the statute; the later rows come from regulatory or commercial practice. Where we say bank or agency practice, the exact requirement is set by that bank or agency, so check its current form.

E-invoices: a new, high-volume use

Since e-invoicing began phasing in on 1 August 2024, the registration number appears on every e-invoice. LHDN’s e-Invoice Guideline (Version 4.8, published 30 August 2026) lists a field for the supplier’s and buyer’s registration or identification number. For businesses it is the BRN, and SSM-registered taxpayers are required to input only the new BRN, which has 12 characters. The TIN goes in its own field; LHDN’s tax file registration page explains how companies obtain it. See company registration number vs TIN and the phased dates in our e-invoicing guide for SMEs.

Businesses and sole proprietors

The Registration of Businesses Act 1956 works differently. It does not have a section 30 equivalent in the sections we read; instead, section 11A requires the certificate of registration to be kept exhibited in a conspicuous place at the principal place of business, and a branch certificate at each branch. Section 5F says a certificate bearing a registration number and the applicant’s or business name is conclusive evidence of registration. The Act is on SSM’s Registration of Businesses Act page. For customer-facing documents there is no need to wait for a statute: banks, platforms and e-invoicing all ask for the number, so print it on invoices anyway. Also remember that a business registration lasts for a period not exceeding five years under section 5(3) and must be renewed; displaying an expired certificate does not help you.

Who owns each task

Name and address changes start with SSM. When the registered office or the name changes, tell SSM through your company secretary, then update every place above. See what a company secretary does.

Step by step: a consistency audit

1. Obtain a current company profile from an SSM portal and note the legal name, 12-digit number, registered address and directors. SSM’s corporate information page lists the portals.
2. List every document type your company issues: invoice, credit note, quotation, purchase order, delivery order, receipt, statement, letterhead, email signature, cheque book, website.
3. Compare each against the profile. Look at spelling, “Sdn Bhd” or “Berhad”, punctuation, and the number.
4. Fix templates and systems and record who did it and when.
5. Check physical locations: signage and displayed certificates.
6. Check third-party accounts: bank, payment gateway, marketplaces, vendor portals.
7. Recheck after any change of name, address or number format.

What this means for different readers

Sdn Bhd and Bhd: the section 30 duties apply to you directly. The company and every officer are exposed if documents fail to carry the name and number. Treat templates as part of your compliance file.

Sole proprietor or partnership: show the certificate at your principal place of business. Put your registration number on invoices as good practice and for e-invoicing.

LLP: SSM’s 12-character format applies to LLPs too, according to its announcement. The LLP’s governing statute is separate from the Companies Act; confirm the specific display and disclosure rules in the LLP Act and its regulations, which we did not review for this article.

Foreign-owned Sdn Bhd: the Malaysian company’s documents show the Malaysian company’s number. Group letterheads copied from overseas headquarters often omit it or use the parent’s details. Fix those templates before using them in Malaysia.

A realistic scenario (illustrative)

A small trading Sdn Bhd changes its name. The secretary files the change with SSM and obtains the updated record. The finance team updates the invoice template and website, but staff keep using old Word quotation templates and the old cheque book. A year later, an internal check against section 30 finds three problems: quotations with the old name only, a website footer still showing the old name, and printed cheques with the previous name. Because the former name must appear beneath the new name for at least twelve months, the team creates a transitional footer and orders new cheque books. The company, dates and documents here are fictional; the lesson is that a name change touches more documents than the invoice template.

Common mistakes

• Using a trading name on invoices without the registered name. Section 30 refers to the registered name.
• Showing the old-format number. See new vs old company registration number.
• Forgetting the website. It is expressly listed in section 30(2)(b).
• Leaving out the number on quotations and order forms. Order forms are listed; quotations fall within business correspondence and documents, so include it.
• Dropping the former name too early after a name change.
• Different numbers in different systems. Bank, accounting and e-invoice settings can drift apart.
• Assuming only the invoice matters. Cheques, receipts, emails and premises display are covered too.
• Mixing up the SSM number and TIN in templates or e-invoices.

How Axecta helps

Axecta’s company secretarial service can run a records review: we obtain your current profile, check your key templates and public-facing pages against it, and give you a one-page list of corrections. We also handle SSM filings for changes of name or address and update your statutory registers. For a wider health check, see our Sdn Bhd compliance checklist.

Next steps

1. Download a current company profile and compare it with your templates.
2. Fix invoices, quotations, receipts, website and email signatures.
3. Check premises: signage, displayed certificates and where books are kept.
4. Update e-invoice, bank and vendor-portal profiles.
5. Calendar a recheck after any change of name, address or SSM announcement.

Frequently asked questions