Naming your business: SSM name check before you design a logo

Why the name comes before the logo

A logo is built around the name: its length, its letters, how it reads in English, Bahasa Malaysia and Chinese. If SSM rejects the name after the logo is done, the design has to start again, along with any signage, packaging or uniforms already printed. The order that saves money is:

1. Shortlist names.
2. Check them against SSM’s naming rules.
3. Search SSM and the MyIPO trademark register.
4. Reserve or register the name.
5. Brief the logo designer.

Company or business: which SSM check applies

You are registering	System	Name check	Fee
Sdn Bhd or Bhd (Companies Act 2016)	CRS	Name search application, reserved for 30 days or combined with incorporation	RM50 reservation, or RM1,000 direct incorporation
Sole proprietorship or partnership, trade name	ezBiz Online via SSM4U	Entered in the registration application	RM60 per year
Sole proprietorship, own name as on MyKad	ezBiz Online via SSM4U	Entered in the registration application	RM30 per year

Fees are from SSM’s company name search page and its business registration table of fees. Confirm them before you apply, as fees change.

How to run an SSM company name search

1. Register on CRS. SSM states that any verified professional or verified individual with a CRS account can apply for a company name search.
2. Choose your route. Either reserve the name first, or go straight to direct incorporation, which combines name approval and incorporation in one application.
3. Lodge the name search. Give the proposed name, and the meaning of any word that is not Malay or English or that you have coined.
4. Pay the fee. RM50 for a reservation.
5. Use the approval within 30 days. An approved name is reserved for 30 days. Lodge the incorporation within that period, or ask the Registrar for an extension.
6. If rejected, appeal or rename. You can appeal to the Minister through CRS within 30 days of the rejection email, with a written letter and a RM300 fee.

SSM naming rules that catch people out

SSM’s Guidelines on Company Names explain when a name is refused. Under section 26 of the Companies Act 2016, a name is not available if it is undesirable, identical to an existing entity’s name, identical to a reserved name, or of a kind the Minister has told the Registrar not to accept. The guideline also says:

1. Spelling and grammar must be correct. Mixed Malay and English names are allowed when the words describe the business and follow proper grammar, for example “BB Construction Sdn. Bhd.”, not “Construction BB Sdn. Bhd.”.
2. Give the meaning of foreign or coined words. A name in another language or an invented word needs its meaning stated.
3. Avoid general words. SSM gives “Beautiful Sdn. Bhd.” and “International Trading Sdn. Bhd.” as examples of names that are too general.
4. Only five symbols. “&”, “.”, “-”, “( )” and the apostrophe are the only symbols allowed in a company name.
5. No “Malaysia” or a state name at the start, unless the government has an interest or the relevant party consents.
6. No “Company”, “Co” or “Syarikat” as part of the name, and words like “Corporation” or “Inc” only with government interest and ministry consent.
7. No confusing acronyms. Acronyms of universities, government agencies or GLCs, such as SIRIM or TNB, are refused.
8. Small additions do not make a name different. When SSM compares names it ignores “The” at the start, “Sdn Bhd” and “PLT”, and words such as “Malaysia”, “(M)” or “Msia” at the end.

The last rule matters for brand ideas. “Zip Legacy Malaysia Sdn. Bhd.” is treated as identical to an existing “Zip Legacy Sdn. Bhd.”, so adding “Malaysia” does not get you around a taken name.

Testing brand name ideas

SSM only checks the legal name. A name can pass SSM and still be a poor brand. Before you reserve it, test each shortlisted name against these questions:

Test	What to check
Trademark	Search MyIPO’s register in your classes for identical or similar marks
Online	Is the .my or .com.my domain free? Are the Instagram, TikTok and Shopee handles free?
Spoken	Can a customer spell it after hearing it once over the phone or on GrabFood?
Languages	Does it read well, and mean nothing unfortunate, in English, Bahasa Malaysia and Chinese?
Length	Does it fit a small app icon, a bottle cap or a name card without shrinking to unreadable?
Growth	Will it still fit if you add products, outlets or move beyond Klang Valley or Penang?

Coined or unusual names are easier to protect as trademarks and to find online. Descriptive names like “Best Bakery” are easy to understand but hard to protect and hard to rank for.

Trading name, company name and brand

Many businesses use a brand that differs from the registered company name, for example a Sdn Bhd that runs a café under a separate trading name. The company name appears on invoices, contracts and tender documents. The brand appears on signage, packaging and social media. Both should be cleared before design starts, and the brand name is the one to register as a trademark. Our guide to registering your logo as a trademark with MyIPO covers that step.

When the name is cleared

Send us the approved name, what the business does and who buys from you, and we will start the logo from there. See our logo design service, the logo design cost guide, or send your brief through the quote form.