Who can be a Compliance Officer?

Under section 27(1) of the Limited Liability Partnerships Act 2012, every LLP must appoint at least one compliance officer from amongst (a) its partners, or (b) persons qualified to act as company secretaries under the Companies Act 2016. The compliance officer must:

  • be a citizen or permanent resident of Malaysia; and
  • ordinarily reside in Malaysia.

A note on cross-references:the LLP Act text still cross-refers to the “Companies Act 1965”; this is read as the Companies Act 2016 by virtue of the savings provisions in s. 620 of the Companies Act 2016.

Who is disqualified?

Section 28(1) disqualifies a person from acting as a compliance officer if he or she:

  1. is an undischarged bankrupt; or
  2. is disqualified to act as a director or secretary under the Companies Act 2016, that is, caught by section 198 (director disqualifications) or section 238 (secretary disqualifications).

A person who has been convicted of certain offences, removed from a directorship by court order, or disqualified as a secretary by the Registrar cannot quietly be appointed as an LLP compliance officer instead.

What the 2024 amendments added

The Limited Liability Partnerships (Amendment) Act 2024 (in force 31 January 2025) introduced a beneficial ownership framework for LLPs through new sections 20C and 20D. These add to the compliance officer's responsibilities, particulars about beneficial owners must now be obtained, recorded, and reported to SSM. Anyone considering accepting the role should treat the BO duties as part of the package, not as an optional extra.

Practical implications

  • You cannot accept the role by long-distance arrangement, ordinary residence in Malaysia is mandatory.
  • If you are a foreign partner planning to use a Malaysia-based partner as compliance officer, confirm their residency status and that they meet the qualification test.
  • If you are a company secretary considering taking on LLP compliance officer roles, confirm you remain qualified under both the Companies Act 2016 and the LLP Act 2012, including the new BO obligations.
  • Bankruptcy and disqualification continue while in force; if your status changes, you must step down.

If you are appointing a compliance officer or partner, or you are unsure whether an existing officer still qualifies, please contact us for a confirmation review.

谁可以担任合规官？

依《2012 年有限责任合伙法令》第 27(1) 条，每家 LLP 必须至少委任一名合规官，由下列人士担任：(a) 其合伙人；或 (b) 依《2016 年公司法令》具备公司秘书资格之人士。合规官须：

  • 为马来西亚公民或永久居民；及
  • 一般居住于马来西亚。

关于交叉引用：LLP 法令的法定文本仍引用「1965 年公司法令」；依《2016 年公司法令》第 620 条的保留条款，该引用应解读为《2016 年公司法令》。

谁被取消资格？

第 28(1) 条规定，下列人士不得担任合规官：

  1. 未解除之破产人；或
  2. 依《2016 年公司法令》被取消董事或公司秘书资格者，即依第 198 条（董事取消资格）或第 238 条（秘书取消资格）被排除者。

因特定罪行被定罪、经法院下令罢免董事职务、或被注册官取消公司秘书资格之人，不得借由委任为 LLP 合规官而绕过。

2024 年修订所引入的新义务

《2024 年有限责任合伙（修订）法令》（2025 年 1 月 31 日生效）通过新增第 20C 与 20D 条为 LLP 引入了受益所有权框架。这扩大了合规官的职责范围，必须取得、登记并向 SSM 申报受益所有人之详情。任何考虑接受此职务者，应将 BO 义务视为该职位的一部分，而非可选附加项。

实务影响

  • 不可以「远距离」安排接任此职，一般居住于马来西亚是强制要求。
  • 若您是外籍合伙人，计划由本地合伙人担任合规官，请先确认其居住身份及是否符合资格测试。
  • 若您是有意承接 LLP 合规官职务的公司秘书，请确认您仍同时符合《公司法令》与《LLP 法令》的资格，包括新的 BO 义务。
  • 破产及取消资格在生效期间持续适用；若您的身份发生变化，必须辞任。

若您正委任合规人员或合伙人，或对现任人员是否仍符合资格存有疑问，请与本所联系进行复核。