Our Practice Areas
Legal Services for
Malaysian Financial
Regulation
Three focused service lines designed to support financial institutions, fintech operators, and lending businesses through the complete regulatory lifecycle.
Back to HomeOur Methodology
How We Approach Regulatory Work
Scope & Assessment
We begin each engagement by clearly defining the scope in writing, identifying the applicable regulatory requirements, and confirming the deliverables — before any substantive work begins.
Analysis & Drafting
The substantive work is carried out against current BNM policy documents and Malaysian statutory requirements. All drafts and working documents are reviewed internally before being shared with the client.
Delivery & Support
Final deliverables are accompanied by a plain-language summary. Post-delivery queries arising directly from the engagement are addressed within the engagement period at no additional charge.
Service 01
Banking Licence Advisory
Obtaining or maintaining a banking, money-lending, or money-services-business licence from Bank Negara Malaysia requires careful preparation. The application process involves regulatory submissions, fit-and-proper assessments, and ongoing post-licence compliance obligations that differ significantly by licence category.
Hikmah Law guides clients through the full process — from understanding which licence is appropriate for their activities, to preparing the application package, to managing post-submission communications with BNM. The engagement spans two to six months, depending on licence type and the client's state of readiness at the outset.
Key Deliverables
- Regulatory requirements matrix covering all BNM submission criteria
- Submission timeline with milestone tracking
- Fit-and-proper assessment guidance
- Post-licence compliance obligation summary
- BNM correspondence support
Engagement Process
- 1Initial regulatory mapping and licence category analysis
- 2Gap assessment against BNM requirements
- 3Application package preparation and review
- 4Submission support and regulator liaison
- 5Post-approval compliance obligations briefing
Fee
RM 750
Fixed, per engagement
Suitable for
- Fintech startups seeking BNM licence or sandbox entry
- Foreign financial institutions entering Malaysian market
- Money services businesses seeking new or renewal licences
- Lenders seeking money-lending licence under MFSA
Suitable for
- Borrowers reviewing proposed facility terms
- Lenders preparing or finalising facility documentation
- Businesses entering into guarantee or security arrangements
- Parties to syndicated or multi-bank facilities
Service 02
Loan Documentation Review
Facility agreements, security documents, and guarantee instruments carry significant long-term obligations. Covenants, events of default, and intercreditor arrangements can materially affect a borrower's or lender's position throughout the term of a facility — often in ways that are not apparent on a first reading.
Hikmah Law reviews the full document set against current Malaysian lending market practice, identifies provisions that warrant negotiation, and produces an annotated term sheet and risk-flagging report for direct use by client finance and legal teams. Turnaround is typically two to four weeks depending on document volume and complexity.
Key Deliverables
- Annotated term sheet identifying key obligations and deviations
- Risk-flagging report with negotiation recommendations
- Covenant analysis and materiality assessment
- Events of default and cross-default review
- Security and guarantee obligations summary
Fee
RM 2,200
Per facility engagement
Service 03
Regulatory Compliance Programme
Licensed financial institutions in Malaysia are expected to maintain documented compliance frameworks covering BNM guidelines, FSA 2013 obligations, and AMLA requirements. Many institutions have policies in place but lack the internal structure to implement, monitor, and update them effectively.
Our Regulatory Compliance Programme builds this structure from the ground up, covering policy drafting, staff training design, and internal audit preparedness. The programme concludes with a compliance manual, training materials, and a monitoring dashboard template that the institution can continue to use and update independently. Rollout typically takes three to six months.
Key Deliverables
- Compliance manual aligned to FSA 2013 and AMLA 2001
- Internal policy documents for each compliance area
- Staff training materials and facilitation guidance
- Compliance monitoring dashboard template
- Internal audit readiness checklist
Fee
RM 5,100
Per programme engagement
Suitable for
- Banks and financial institutions preparing for BNM examination
- Institutions building compliance from initial licence stage
- Fintech businesses scaling into regulated operations
- Organisations with outdated or incomplete compliance documentation
Service Comparison
Which Service Fits Your Situation?
Use the comparison below to identify which engagement best matches your current regulatory need.
| Feature | Licence Advisory | Doc Review | Compliance Prog. |
|---|---|---|---|
| BNM regulatory mapping | — | ||
| Document analysis | — | — | |
| Written policy framework | — | — | |
| Staff training materials | — | — | |
| Risk-flagging report | — | — | |
| Monitoring dashboard template | — | — | |
| Fee | RM 750 | RM 2,200 | RM 5,100 |
Across All Services
Shared Standards & Protocols
Malaysian Bar Membership
All work is carried out by qualified practitioners admitted to the Malaysian Bar under the Legal Profession Act 1976.
Written Engagement Letters
Every engagement commences with a signed engagement letter defining scope, fees, and deliverables — no ambiguity about what is and is not included.
Conflict Checks
A conflict-of-interest check is conducted before any new engagement begins. Professional indemnity insurance is maintained for all client matters.
Current Regulatory Knowledge
Advice is verified against the latest BNM policy documents, gazette amendments, and statutory instruments before delivery — not built from outdated precedents.
Bilingual Delivery
Engagements are conducted in English or Bahasa Malaysia. Deliverables can be issued in either language depending on client preference.
PDPA 2010 Data Handling
Client data is handled in accordance with Malaysia's Personal Data Protection Act 2010 throughout the engagement period and retained only as required by professional obligations.
Not Sure Which Service Applies?
Tell us about your situation and we will identify which engagement is appropriate — or whether a combination of services would serve your needs better. No obligation to proceed.
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