Despite the rising competition of Thailand and Vietnam in the region, starting a company in Malaysia was ranked as the worlds 21st easiest place to do business by the World Bank. While applications are filed by the CCM, a professional corporate services firm will incorporate your company legally and act as a Malaysian resident director, company secretary and registered office.

While Malaysia doesn't have a recognised global financial centre, Bank Negara Malaysia is the government authority that maintains the stable financial system of the country. In 2006, 13 foreign commercial banks such as Deutsche Bank, HSBC and JP Morgan Chase were registered in Malaysia alongside 10 local banks.

Through the Companies Commission of Malaysia (CCM), the administration and registering of companies are achieved and the corporate compliance and disclosure requirements are monitored. Company details, including shareholders and directors, date of incorporation and the share capital can be viewed publicly.

Opportunities to raise corporate finance in Malaysia are limited. 2006 saw 11 development finance institutions (DFIs) licensed to provide the strategic financing of economic sectors such as agriculture and manufacturing. Medium to long-term loans are provided alongside loan guarantees and equity capitals. Exim Bank is an example of a corporate finance provider that works with Malaysian companies involved with the importing and exporting of goods and services.

The Malaysian government offers various incentives through the Malaysian Industrial Development Authority (MIDA) and the Multimedia Super Corridor (MSC) to attract inward investments. An example of this is tax exemptions for qualifying companies. In some sectors such as biotechnology or information communications technology, 100% tax exemption is available for up to 5 years.

Malaysia has a strong export performance, which is attributed to the higher prices of commodities such as palm and crude oil, and it is the second-largest oil and gas producer of South East Asia. Because of the importance of exports to the economy, the infrastructure is modern - especially its road network - allowing the transport of goods across the country and to ports to be quick and efficient.

Malaysia enjoys an investment-grade credit rating of A3 from Moody's Investors Service, a reflection of its low credit risk. Consequently, despite the many restrictions on foreign investment, Malaysia is considered a stable country in which to invest and obtain corporate finance.