What ‘Digital Company Secretary’ Really Means (And Doesn’t!)
When MISHU was founded in 2020 as a Digital Company Secretary, there was a growing appreciation for CoSecs that used WhatsApp instead of messenger pigeons.
And even then, the term ‘digital’ sometimes caused confusion…and disappointment.
Today, the ‘digital’ in Digital CoSec is still vaguely understood though demand is higher than ever.
So, in hopes of long and fruitful client-CoSec relationships all over Malaysia, let’s set the record straight on what to reasonably expect from us and our peers!
Here’s how we’ve broken it down:
- the assumption many make upon hearing ‘digital’
- processes that can’t be digitalised
- why every CoSec today is a digital CoSec, and
- what sets good and great ones apart
Let’s begin.
Digital doesn’t mean instant incorporation!
Many Company Secretaries offer incorporation as a matter of convenience, and a Digital CoSec naturally offers digital incorporation.
Here lies the source of conflict!
Many see ‘incorporate a company online with just a few clicks’, and assume they fill out a form and their application is near-instantly approved.
In reality, the ‘we’ll take care of the rest’ involves A LOT of manual work from your Company Secretary preparing your application and SSM as the body that reviews it.
No Company Secretary can’t make this happen any faster, digital or not–here’s why.
Most application reviews are still done manually
All digitally submitted incorporation applications still need to be individually reviewed by an SSM officer to verify the applicant’s:
- nature of business
- directorship
- proposed company names
- supporting documents
- basically every item in the Superform
Think of how long it took you to put that together–now someone needs to pick it apart and make sure the pieces fit!
There are more applications than EVER
The ease of incorporating a company means more people than ever are giving it a go.
According to SSM statistics, 24,538 Sdn Bhds were incorporated from January to May 2025.
That’s 164 new companies per day, meaning SSM is literally swamped with submissions 24/7!
Your application will take a while to process as there are thousands ahead of it in the queue.
It’s the same with other government agencies–we know because we deal with them every day.
What a Digital Company Secretary looks like
While incorporating will never be done overnight, once you’re over that hump, Secretarial functions on ongoing statutory compliance CAN be done 100% digitally, namely:
- advising you on changes in SSM requirements
- filing Annual Submissions
- updating statutory information
- circulating meeting minutes and board resolutions, and
- storing key company documents
These are real tasks of a Company Secretary, and any competent CoSec in 2025 can carry them out digitally.
Also, as covered in our guide to finding the best CoSec, many Secretarial firms handle other post-incorporation needs like license applications, employment visas, and more.
Many of these services are also digitised in their own individual capacity.
The more digitised services they offer that you actually need, the closer you get to your perfect Digital Company Secretary!
In fact, MISHU has a ton of them, so you might as well pick us 😀
Let MISHU be your Digital Company Secretary
On top of our incorporation and Secretarial services, MISHU is partnered with numerous providers to help deliver a comprehensive suite of digital business solutions to SMEs in Malaysia. If we can’t do it, we know someone who can!