Can I become a Company Secretary with a UEC instead of SPM?

Yes. The subjects named on this page are the same disciplines in the UEC — only a different exam paper. What changes is the route afterwards: the UEC is not accepted for direct entry into a Malaysian public university degree, so independent school students go to private universities in Malaysia or abroad, where the UEC is treated as equivalent to STPM and A-Level. One thing that costs families money: PTPTN eligibility runs through SPM, not the UEC. A complete SPM requires a pass in Sejarah, compulsory for the certificate since 2013, and Bahasa Melayu is usually needed at credit rather than a bare pass. The institution and programme must also be PTPTN-recognised. Verify current conditions with PTPTN.

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Company Secretary

Setiausaha Syarikat · Perniagaan

Starting

RM2,500 - RM3,800

Senior

RM7,000 - RM15,000

Entry

Degree

Short answerA company secretary ensures a company complies with the Companies Act 2016 — filing annual returns, maintaining statutory registers, preparing board minutes and resolutions, and advising directors on their legal duties.
The first thing to understand: this is not a secretary in the administrative sense. It is a legal compliance role, and it is mandatory — every company incorporated in Malaysia must appoint one.
It is also a qualified role: under the Companies Act 2016 a company secretary must be licensed by SSM or be a member of a prescribed professional body (such as MAICSA, MIA, or another recognised body).

What does a Company Secretary do?

Ensures companies comply with corporate law — every Sdn Bhd must have one.

File SSM documents
Manage board meetings
Advise on corporate compliance

A day in the life

Company secretaries keep companies compliant with the Companies Act 2016: SSM filings, board resolutions, AGM/board meetings and statutory registers.
A typical day: drafting resolutions for clients, e-filing SSM forms, answering directors' queries, tracking compliance deadlines.
Many work at secretarial firms handling hundreds of small companies.

Is this right for you?

A good fit if you: are meticulous with documents & deadlines, like clear rules, and enjoy steady office work.
Less suitable if you: get bored of forms quickly, or want field work.

Salary & career ladder

Company secretary income range
Secretarial assistant RM2,500–3,800 · qualified secretarial executive RM4,000–7,000 · senior company secretary RM7,000–13,000 · listed-company secretary / head of governance RM15,000–30,000+ · secretarial firm owner RM15,000–40,000+.

Why the business route is so clear here
Every company legally needs a company secretary, and every company files an annual return. That is recurring revenue mandated by law — a rare business model.
A company secretarial firm has low start-up capital (office, software, qualification) and clients who do not leave because they cannot — they must file every year.
Many company secretaries work a few years at a firm, build a client base and understanding, then start their own.

Where the highest value sits
Listed companies. A company secretary for a listed public company handles Bursa compliance, disclosures, general meetings, and advises the board on governance. That is a far more complex role and is paid accordingly.
Transaction expertise: corporate restructuring, listings and mergers require specialised, high-value secretarial work.

City vs hometown

Companies exist everywhere — secretarial firms operate in every town.
Great for opening your own practice back home: local SMEs all need this service.

Study path after SPM / UEC

Degree + MAICSA qualification / SSM licenceA misconception to correct first
"Company secretary" is not an executive secretary or personal assistant. It is a legal compliance role under the Companies Act 2016.
Many students see the title and assume administration. It is in fact closer to law and corporate governance.

The route
SPM → the MAICSA qualification (can be taken while working) or membership of another prescribed professional body under the Companies Act 2016 → experience at a secretarial firm → SSM licence or prescribed body membership → act as a company secretary.

Why this field deserves consideration
1. Demand is guaranteed by law. Every company incorporated in Malaysia must appoint a company secretary. Not some companies — every one. That is a demand base independent of the economy.
2. Enterable without a degree. The MAICSA qualification can be taken while working, making it an accessible professional route.
3. A clear business route. A company secretarial firm has recurring clients (annual filings) and low start-up capital.

The reality to accept
This work is deadlines and detail. Late filings carry penalties, and errors in statutory documents have legal consequences. It is not work that can be done roughly.

Related fields
Compliance officer — a closely adjacent field. Accounting — an alternative route into the same role (MIA is a prescribed body). Law if corporate governance appeals at a deeper level.If you are taking the UEC instead of SPM
Everything above still applies to you — the subjects are the same disciplines, only a different exam paper. What changes is the route after it.
The UEC is not accepted for direct entry into a Malaysian public university degree. That is why independent school students overwhelmingly go to private universities in Malaysia, or abroad.
The UEC is treated as equivalent to STPM and A-Level, and it is recognised in the UK, the United States, Canada, Australia and Taiwan — which is why the overseas rate from independent schools is so high.
And the part that costs families real money — read this one properly:
PTPTN eligibility runs through SPM, and a UEC alone does not carry it. To keep the loan available you need a complete SPM, which means two things people get wrong:
Sejarah must be passed. Since SPM 2013 a pass in Sejarah (minimum E) is compulsory for the certificate itself — fail it and you do not have a complete SPM at all.
Bahasa Melayu is usually required at credit (grade C), not merely a pass.
The institution and programme must also be PTPTN-recognised — check that on the PTPTN gateway before you commit to a college.
The UEC route pushes you towards a private degree, and PTPTN is what pays for it. If you have not sat SPM, sit it — and do not treat Sejarah as the throwaway paper.
These conditions change. Verify the current rules with PTPTN before relying on any of this.

Universities

The CGQP qualification is offered via MAICSA.
Related degrees: law/business at UM, UKM, UUM, UiTM or private universities.

Tuition fees

MAICSA route: exam & membership fees roughly RM10,000–RM20,000 in total — cheaper than a private degree.
Public degree as usual RM1,500–RM4,000 per year.

Scholarships

PTPTN/JPA/MARA for the degree route.
Secretarial firms often sponsor exam fees for promising staff.

Certification & licence

This is a statutory post, not an administrative one
Under the Companies Act 2016, every company in Malaysia must appoint a company secretary. It is not optional, and the person holding it carries personal legal duties to SSM.
Do not confuse this with an executive secretary — a management support post with no licence and no statutory duties. Same word, entirely different career.

Two valid routes — and where they come from

Route	Who issues it (country)	What it actually is	Standing in Malaysia	Use abroad
MAICSA	Malaysian Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators — Malaysia, affiliated to CGI (UK)	Membership through corporate governance examinations	A prescribed body under the Companies Act 2016	Moderate — governance is recognised across the Commonwealth
SSM licence	Companies Commission of Malaysia — Malaysia	A company secretary licence	The alternative route to prescribed-body membership	None
Practising Certificate	SSM — Malaysia	Permission to act, renewable	Mandatory before you may act, on either route	None
Accounting bodies	MIA and listed bodies — see Accountant	Accounting membership	Also listed as prescribed bodies	Depends on the body
CGI (formerly ICSA)	The Chartered Governance Institute — United Kingdom	An international governance qualification	Through the MAICSA affiliation	Good in the UK and the Commonwealth

How the right to act is obtained
The Companies Act 2016 allows someone to act as a company secretary if they are:
(a) a member of a prescribed body — MAICSA is the principal one, and accounting bodies such as MIA are also listed; or
(b) the holder of a company secretary licence issued by SSM.
In either case you must obtain a Practising Certificate from SSM before acting. Check the list of prescribed bodies and current conditions directly with SSM — it is updated.

What MAICSA actually is
The Malaysian Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators is the local body, and it is affiliated with The Chartered Governance Institute (CGI), based in the United Kingdom — the international governance body formerly known as ICSA.
That gives the qualification an international dimension: corporate governance is recognised across Commonwealth countries. But the right to act in Malaysia still comes from SSM.

What you are actually responsible for
Annual filings, board resolutions, statutory registers, meeting notices, and making sure the company complies with the Companies Act 2016.
Filing failures carry penalties — to the company and to you. That is why the post is controlled, and why it pays more than administrative posts that sound similar.

Why it is a stable route
Every company must have one. Demand does not move with the economic cycle — it moves with the number of registered companies.
Many company secretaries work in corporate services firms serving dozens or hundreds of small companies at once. See Entrepreneur — every new Sdn Bhd needs one.

Pros

Demand guaranteed by law
Can open your own firm with little capital
Recurring income (annual fees)
Stable work, regular hours

Cons

Repetitive, document-heavy work
Legal liability for missed filings
Fees squeezed by cheap competitors
Less glamorous than other finance careers

Future & the AI era

E-filing & auto-templates ease routine work — small firms can serve more clients with AI.
Governance advice & complex cases still need a licensed human — and the law requires a human secretary.

Step by step, and how long each takes

SPM — English and precisionSPM
No strict subject requirements. English matters because the Companies Act 2016, statutory documents and examination material are all in English.
What is genuinely needed is meticulousness with detail — this work is deadlines, filings and records, and errors have legal consequences.
MAICSA / ICSA, or a prescribed qualification2–4 tahun
The most common route is the MAICSA (Malaysian Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators) qualification, which can be taken while working.
Other routes: membership of another prescribed professional body under the Companies Act 2016 — including MIA, the legal profession, and others recognised.
Check the current list of prescribed bodies before choosing a route.
A secretarial firm or an in-house departmentPengalaman
Most people start at a company secretarial firm serving many client companies — you learn fast because you see dozens of companies and situations.
The alternative: an in-house secretarial department in a large company or listed group.
SSM licence or prescribed body membershipLesen
To act as a company secretary you must either be licensed by SSM or be a member of a prescribed professional body under the Companies Act 2016.
This is not a formality — the appointment of a company secretary is filed with SSM and the authority knows who holds the position.
Corporate governance and complianceSelepas itu
Senior company secretaries move into corporate governance in listed companies — advising boards, managing Bursa disclosures, and investor relations.
Or open their own secretarial firm — a clear entrepreneurial route, because every new company legally requires a company secretary.

Key SPM subjects

Bahasa Inggeris, Matematik, Prinsip Perakaunan

Matematik →P.Akaun →English →

Questions students actually ask

Is a company secretary the same as a regular secretary?

No, and this confusion causes many students to miss a good field.
An executive secretary / personal assistant is an administrative role — managing schedules, correspondence and executive support.
A company secretary is a legal compliance role under the Companies Act 2016 — filing annual returns, maintaining statutory registers, preparing board resolutions, and advising directors on their legal duties.
It requires an SSM licence or membership of a prescribed professional body. It is closer to law than to administration.
And every company incorporated in Malaysia must appoint one — so demand is guaranteed by law.

Do I need a degree?

Not necessarily, and that is one of the field's advantages.
The most common route is the MAICSA qualification, which can be taken while working. You can start as a secretarial assistant after SPM or a diploma and qualify gradually.
Another route is membership of another prescribed professional body under the Companies Act 2016 — MIA is one example, so qualified accountants can act as company secretaries.
Why this matters: this is one of the few qualified professional roles in Malaysia reachable without a degree, with demand guaranteed by law.

Is this work stable?

Among the most stable in business, for a simple structural reason.
Every company incorporated in Malaysia must appoint a company secretary, and every company must file an annual return. That is a statutory obligation that does not disappear when the economy slows.
Struggling companies still have to file. Companies being closed need secretarial work for the closure.
Compare with other business fields: marketing is cut in a downturn; hiring is frozen; projects are deferred. Statutory filings cannot be deferred without penalty.
That makes this field unusually cycle-resistant.

Can I start my own firm?

Yes, and it is one of the most predictable business routes in Malaysian professional services.
Why the model is sturdy: every company legally needs a company secretary, and every company files annually. That is recurring revenue mandated by law.
Start-up capital is low — a small office, compliance software, and your qualification.
Clients rarely switch because switching costs are high and relationships are long-term.
The real challenge: getting your first clients, and managing deadlines across many companies without missing one. A filing error is your problem, not the client's.
The usual route: a few years at an existing firm, build understanding and a network, then start your own.

Will AI replace company secretaries?

Part of the work, yes. The other part is protected by law.
What changes: document preparation, filing schedules, standard form completion, and deadline tracking. Compliance software already automates much of this, and AI makes it faster.
What remains: someone must be appointed and accountable. The Companies Act 2016 requires a company to appoint a company secretary who is licensed or a member of a prescribed body — a human who can be held responsible.
And advising directors on their legal duties in unclear situations — restructuring, shareholder disputes, governance issues — requires judgement, not a template.
Practical effect: routine filing work shrinks, which means a firm can serve more clients with the same staff. Value shifts toward governance advice.

Practice SPM Matematik →K1 papers + AI answers · 3 languages

Where to study — universities and total fees

University	Course	Total fees	Duration	Location
Asia Pacific University of Technology & Innovation (APU)	Certificate · Certificate in Business Administration (CBA)	RM 18,800	16 months (5 Semesters)	Bukit Jalil, Kuala Lumpur
First City University College	Diploma · DIPLOMA IN BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION	RM 19,350	2 Years	Bandar Utama, Selangor
Multimedia University (MMU)	Diploma · DIPLOMA IN BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION	RM 23,400	2 Years	Cyberjaya, Selangor / Melaka
SEGi University & Colleges	Diploma · Diploma in Business Administration	RM 27,800	3 Years	Kota Damansara / KL / Subang / Penang / Sarawak
University of Cyberjaya	Diploma · Diploma in Business Administration	RM 30,000	2.5 years	Cyberjaya, Selangor
INTI International University & Colleges	Degree · Bachelor of Business (Honours) Business Administration – Online Learning	RM 32,260	3 Years	Nilai / Subang / Penang
MAHSA University	Diploma · Diploma in Business Administration	RM 33,000	2 years	Bandar Saujana Putra, Selangor
Sunway College Johor Bahru	Diploma · Diploma in Business Administration	RM 34,830	Approximately 2 years (6 semesters)	Johor Bahru, Johor
UOW Malaysia (KDU)	Diploma · Diploma in Business Administration	RM 37,240	2 years	Glenmarie,Selangor
Sunway College	Diploma · Diploma in Business Administration	RM 44,200	2 years	Bandar Sunway, Selangor
Multimedia University (MMU)	Degree · BACHELOR OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION (HONS) (DIGITAL BUSINESS MANAGEMENT)	RM 54,250	—	Cyberjaya, Selangor / Melaka
Crescendo International College	Degree · Bachelor of Laws (LLB)	RM 62,584	3 years	Ulu Tiram, Johor
HELP University	Degree · UK Degree Transfer Programme (Law)	RM 63,850	2 years	Damansara Heights
Raffles University	Degree · BACHELOR IN BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION (HONOURS)	RM 65,000	3 Years	Johor Bahru, Johor
UCSI University / UCSI College	Degree · BACHELOR OF ARTS (HONS) IN BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION	RM 68,610	3 Years	Cheras, Kuala Lumpur
Curtin University Malaysia	Degree · Bachelor of Business Administration	RM 76,500	3 years full time	Miri, Sarawak
Heriot-Watt University Malaysia	Degree · BBA (Hons) Bachelor of Business Administration	RM 114,450	3 years	Putrajaya
International Medical University (IMU)	Degree · Bachelor of Business Administration (Honours)	RM 119,250	3 Years	Bukit Jalil, Kuala Lumpur
University of Reading Malaysia	Degree · Bachelor of Laws (LL.B)	RM 122,400	Sept intake - 3 years April intake – 3.5 years	EduCity, Iskandar Puteri, Johor
Taylor’s University / Taylor’s College	Degree · Bachelor of Laws (Honours)	RM 125,304	3 year	Subang Jaya, Selangor

Fees are a guide only and change every year. Confirm the current figure with the university before you decide.

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Sources

Figures and policy on this page are checked against these reports. Last reviewed 2026-09.

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