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Publications

Insight | Alert
Malaysia: Proposed Amendment to Section 28 Contracts Act 1950
Malaysia proposes contract law reforms, including a reasonableness test for restraints of trade, replacing the current statutory prohibition.
Insight | Alert
Customs Restores Previous Treatment for Employment Services
Revised guidance broadens taxable value, tightens secondment conditions and rules out B2B and group relief.
Insight | Alert
Service Tax Developments Impacting Employment Services
Revised guidance broadens taxable value, tightens secondment conditions and rules out B2B and group relief.
Insight | Alert
High Court Quashes Travel Ban Over GST Liabilities
High Court quashes GST travel ban, finding no flight risk and no liability for GST debts accrued post-resignation.
Insight | Alert
Stamp Duty - Extension of Special Voluntary Disclosure Programme to 31 December 2026
Malaysia extends stamp duty SVDP to 31 December 2026, giving taxpayers more time to regularize instruments with full penalty waiver.
Insight | Alert
Malaysia: New Personal Data Protection Guidelines
New guidelines regarding data protection impact assessment, data protection by design, and automated decision-making and profiling.
Insight | Alert
New Gas Power Plants Bid Process
Energy Commission introduces new open competitive bidding process for gas power plants targeted for operation between 2029 and 2031
Insight | Alert
Securities Commission Clarifies Requirements Digital Asset Broking
The Securities Commission Malaysia provides clarity on the regulatory framework governing the offering of broking services for digital assets
Insight | Guide
Balancing Progress and Protection: Navigating Malaysia's Legal Landscape for AI Risks
A structured overview of existing legal frameworks that can be relied on to address emerging AI risks across four key areas.
Insight | Alert
Stamp Duty: Late Payment Penalty Waiver
The Inland Revenue Board of Malaysia has announced a limited window for waiver of late stamp duty payment penalties.
Insight | Alert
2026 Updates to Renewable Energy Schemes
The updates recalibrate commercial risk allocation, streamline regulatory processes, and introduce new participation pathways for stakeholders across Malaysia’s renewable energy ecosystem.
Insight | Alert
Expatriate Services Division Increases Employment Pass Salary Requirements
Effective 1 June 2026, the Expatriate Services Division will implement higher minimum salary requirements and new duration limits for all Employment Pass applications.
Insight | Alert
Increase in Employment Pass Salary Requirements
MDEC raises employment pass salary thresholds effective 1 June 2026.
Insight | Alert
Stamp duty exemption for employment contracts under MYR 3,000
The proposal marks a welcome update to align stamp duty requirements with current wage realities.
Insight | Alert
Amendments to the Hire-Purchase Act
The Bill abolishes the use of the flat rate and the Rule of 78 in a move which is widely regarded as a shift towards fairer practices for borrowers who opt for earlier loan settlement.
Insight | Alert
Budget 2026 - Tax Highlights
The Malaysian Budget 2026, the first under the 13th Malaysia Plan, presents the largest ever total public expenditure at MYR 470 billion.
Insight | Alert
Court of Appeal rules RM10 stamping for loan novation agreement
Wong & Partners successfully represented its client in an appeal before the Court of Appeal on the stamp duty treatment of a loan novation agreement.
Insight | Alert
Cross-Border Insolvency Bill 2025
On 29 July 2025, Malaysia's House of Representatives passed the Cross-Border Insolvency Bill 2025 (“Bill”), a highly anticipated legislative milestone intended to align Malaysia's insolvency framework with international standards.
Insight | Alert
Navigating the digital landscape — The Heidy Quah case
On 19 August 2025, the Court of Appeal in the case of H. Quah held that the words "offensive" and "annoy" in Section 233(1)(a) of the Communications and Multimedia Act, 1998 contravenes the Federal Constitution.
Insight | Alert
Stamp duty on employment contracts - Key takeaways from the IRB’s latest FAQs
Recently, the Inland Revenue Board of Malaysia ("IRB") issued a set of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) to clarify the stamping requirements for employment contracts in Malaysia.
Insight | Alert
Public consultation on the Personal Data Protection Regulations 2013
The Malaysian Personal Data Protection Department has recently published a public consultation paper to gather feedback on the proposed amendments to the Personal Data Protection Regulations 2013.
Insight | Alert
MyCC digital economy Market Review – Draft Final Report with preliminary recommendations now available
Following a recent public consultation, the Malaysian Competition Commission ("MyCC") has published its Draft Final Report on Market Review of the Digital Ecosystem
Insight | Alert
The DPO framework – competency, training, and professional development
This client alert outlines three new documents issued by the Personal Data Protection Commissioner that clarify expectations for DPO competency, training, and provider recognition following the 2024 appointment requirement.
Insight | Alert
Central Bank of Malaysia proposes revisions to Interoperable Fund Transfer Framework
Bank Negara Malaysia has proposed the introduction of the Interoperable Fund Transfer Framework that is intended to replace the existing Interoperable Credit Transfer Framework.
Insight | Alert
Proposed new regulatory framework against Unsolicited Commercial Electronic Messages
The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission is proposing a regulatory framework for Unsolicited Commercial Electronic Messages.
Insight | Alert
(i) Implementation of Data Centre Framework and (ii) Initiative for sustainable data centre development
This client alert summarises key developments in Malaysia’s data centre market in July 2025, including the launch of a new Data Centre Framework and an updated Green Building Index tool.
Insight | Alert
Updates on land office fees in Johor
On 13 June 2025, the Director of the Land and Mines Office of Johor issued Circular No. 3 of 2025, regarding amendments to the applicable rates of fees and levy chargeable under Schedule 6, Arrangement V of the Johor Land Rules 1966.
Insight | Alert
A wider net - Malaysia's SST expansion signals broader tax reach
The Malaysian Government’s 2025 Budget introduced key tax measures on 18 October 2024, confirmed by the Ministry of Finance to take effect from 1 July 2025.
Insight | Alert
Stamp Duty – Employment Contracts in Focus
This client alert summarises the key takeaways from the Inland Revenue Board’s 6 June 2025 media statement on the stamp duty treatment of employment contracts.
Insight | Alert
Key amendments to the Industrial Relations Regulations 2009
The amendments to the Industrial Relations Regulations 2009, have come into force on 15 May 2025.
Insight | Alert
Stamp duty compliance — a new era of enforcement
The Inland Revenue Board in Malaysia has already begun accelerating audit activities ahead of the implementation of its stamp duty self-assessment system.
Insight | Alert
Key labour law reforms in Sabah and Sarawak
After years of anticipation, significant amendments to the Labour Ordinance of Sabah (Sabah Cap. 67) and Labour Ordinance (Sarawak Cap. 76) have finally come into force.
Insight | Alert
Competitive bidding for new generation capacity for gas power plants
On 9 May 2025, the Energy Commission announced the competitive bidding process for new generation capacity for gas power plants in the year 2025 to 2029.
Insight | Alert
Cross Border Personal Data Transfer Guideline
Following the public consultation in 2024, the Personal Data Protection Commissioner has now issued the Personal Data Protection Guideline on Cross Border Personal Data Transfer.
Insight | Alert
New era for carbon capture
The Carbon Capture, Utilization and Storage Bill 2025 has been passed by the Dewan Negara.
Insight | Alert
Proposed amendments to the Employees' Provident Fund Act 1991
The Bill mandates contributions to the EPF by employees who are non-Malaysian citizens, at a rate of contribution equivalent to 2% of the employees' monthly wages, payable by both the employer and employee.
Insight | Alert
US tariffs on Malaysian imports announced on 2 April 2025
The MITI made clear that Malaysia is not considering retaliatory tariffs and will continue engaging with the US authorities to seek solutions to uphold the spirit of free and fair trade.
Insight | Alert
Public consultations on data protection impact assessments, data protection by design and automated decision making and profiling
The Malaysian Personal Data Protection Department has published three public consultation papers to gather feedback on proposed guidelines on (i) data protection impact assessments, (ii) data protection by design and (iii) automated decision-making and profiling.
Insight | Guide
Legal 500: Doing Business In . . . Malaysia
Our cross-practice team provides an overview of the laws and regulations applicable in Malaysia for Legal 500's Doing Business In guide.
Insight | Commentary
Do you need a Data Protection Officer?
In this article for the Legal Industry Reviews: Malaysia, our Technology team explores the latest requirements for Data Protection Officers, and offers an explanation of which businesses would be required to have one.
Insight | Alert
Proposed updates to the export control regime
The proposed changes are part of MITI's ongoing efforts to enhance Malaysia's strategic trade control framework, and to ensure that it remains robust, efficient, and aligned with corresponding domestic legislation and international standards.
Insight | Alert
The Consumer Credit Bill 2025
The new Consumer Credit Bill 2025 was tabled for its first reading in the Malaysian Parliament on 4 March 2025.
Insight | Alert
New Guidelines for Solar PV Installation for Self-Consumption in Peninsular Malaysia
These changes aim to accelerate energy transition in Peninsular Malaysia and support the country's goal of achieving a 70% renewable energy capacity mix by 2050.
Insight | Alert
Q&A on Appointment of Data Protection Officer and Data Breach Notification
Key information from the guidelines to assist organisations in their next steps to comply with the new legal obligations on DPO and DBN.
Insight | Alert
Tax incentives for the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone
We highlight the key tax incentives and opportunities arising from the JS-SEZ relevant to businesses and investors.
Insight | Alert
Updated Transfer Pricing Guidelines and Transfer Pricing Tax Audit Framework
In this alert, we examine the key changes relevant to businesses introduced under the TP Guidelines 2024 and TP Tax Audit Framework 2024.
Insight | Alert
Resumption of NPCO approvals for certain products to be exported to Russia
Businesses exporting the affected products to Russia and seeking NPCO approvals from MITI are encouraged to take note of the updated process and requirements to ensure customs compliance and seamless trade operations.
Insight | Alert
Temporary suspension of NPCO approvals for certain products to be exported to Russia
This is a proactive response by the Malaysian government to the ongoing geopolitical tensions and trade disruptions arising from the Russia-Ukraine war.
Insight | Alert
Court of Appeal decision's impact on stamp duty
In today's challenging economic environment, borrowers in the market will see this decision as a welcome boost in managing transaction costs when sourcing for similar types of trade financing.