Individual Information Search in Malaysia – 2025 Practical Guide for KYC, Hiring & Due-Diligence

KYC & AML: Verify directors / UBOs before onboarding a new client.
Hiring & Vendor Screening: Check credit, court and bankruptcy status to avoid future risk.
Regulatory Compliance: Licensing bodies, banks and professional firms must keep evidential records of background checks under the Credit Reporting Agencies Act 2010 and PDPA 2010.

Failing to run basic checks can expose a business to fraud, claw-back claims or regulatory penalties.

1. Legal Framework & Consent

Statute	Key Take-away
Credit Reporting Agencies Act 2010	Access to credit/bankruptcy data requires the individual’s written consent or a permissible purpose (e.g., credit evaluation).
Personal Data Protection Act 2010	Collect only data you need, store it securely, and keep it no longer than necessary.
Companies Act 2016	Section 201 prohibits appointment of an undischarged bankrupt as director.

Always obtain a signed consent letter (or a clause in your engagement/hiring form) before you search.

	What You Get	Where to Search	Fee / Turn-around
Identity & MyKad validation	Name, NRIC, date of birth	eKYC providers (CTOS eKYC, MyEG)	From RM3, seconds
Personal Credit Report & Score	CCRIS 12-mth repayment, legal suits, directorships, 3-digit score	MyCTOS Score Report online	RM 27.90, instant
Bank Negara CCRIS	Official loan & repayment history	eCCRIS portal (self-registration, fully online since Feb 2022)	Free, instant download
Bankruptcy Status	Undischarged bankrupt list	e-Insolvency (Malaysian Dept. of Insolvency) – RM 10/search	RM 10, instant
Litigation / Court Actions	Active & closed civil suits	e-Kehakiman (e-Filing) search; public users may buy a daily pass	~RM 10 per file, same-day access
Directorships & Shareholdings	Companies where the individual is/was a director or shareholder	MyData-SSM personal name search	From RM 15, instant
Professional & Regulatory Checks	MIA, Bar Council, MOH, EPF, SOCSO, etc.	Respective portals / letter of good standing	Varies
Watch-lists / Adverse Media	Sanctions, PEP, negative news	Commercial databases (World-Check, Dow Jones)	Subscription

Obtain Consent – get the candidate/client to sign a standard consent letter referencing CRA Act 2010 & PDPA.
Define Scope – choose which databases fit your risk profile (e.g., credit + bankruptcy + litigation for key hires).
Run Online Searches
- Pull MyCTOS Score and eCCRIS.
- Conduct e-Insolvency bankruptcy lookup.
- Search litigation via e-Kehakiman (by NRIC/name variations).
- Extract SSM directorship list from MyData.
Verify & Reconcile – confirm that NRIC numbers match across all reports; flag discrepancies.
Compile Findings – summarise in a single PDF with hyperlinks to source reports; keep originals for 7 years.
Assess & Decide – apply your internal risk matrix (e.g., no undischarged bankrupts as directors; credit score ≥ 650 for finance roles).
Secure Storage & Disposal – encrypt files; purge after statutory retention period.

Package	Contents	Cost (RM)	Turn-around
Basic Check	MyCTOS Basic + e-Insolvency	≈ 40	< 15 min
Standard KYC	MyCTOS Score, eCCRIS, MyData Directorship, Litigation search	80–120	30 min – 2 hrs
Enhanced Due-Diligence	Standard KYC + Adverse media + Global sanctions	200–350	Same day
Full Executive Vetting	Enhanced DD + Professional licence verification + Academic check	400–600	1–2 days

Pitfall	Fix
Searching without consent – exposes you to PDPA fines	Always secure a signed form or digital consent.
Name mismatches (e.g., “MOHD” vs “MUHAMMAD”)	Search every alias & NRIC; rely on NRIC for confirmation.
Out-of-date results	Pull fresh reports; CCRIS updates every month, CTOS daily.
Ignoring sealed or ex-parte suits	Check both the e-filing portal and commercial litigation databases for completeness.

Skip the multiple portals—we deliver a single consolidated report:

Turn-around: < 24 hours. Fee: from RM 250 per individual (volume discounts available).

👉 Need a clean, audit-ready background report? Contact us today.

Last Updated: 28-Apr-2025