Money Broking – Labuan

Money broking is defined as the business of arranging transactions between buyers and sellers in money with brokers acting as an intermediary in consideration of brokerage fees paid or to be paid, but does not include the buying or selling of foreign currencies by the broker as a principal in such markets. Companies with money broking business may only transact business in foreign currency and not deal in Malaysian Ringgit except for the purpose of defraying administrative and statutory expenses. Labuan money brokers are prohibited from dealing with residents other than authorised dealers under the Exchange Control Act 1953.

Application Requirements

The submission should include, but is not restricted to, the following:

1. Maintain a paid-up capital unimpaired by losses of at least RM500,000 or its equivalent in any foreign currency. Labuan FSA may also exercise its discretion to require additional capital to commensurate with the business operations of the Labuan money brokers, taking into account the risk profile as well as nature, scale, complexity and diversity of their business activities.

2. Maintain an operational office in Labuan. The operational office should be used for business purposes only and must be appropriately furnished with office equipment.

3. Ensure that the persons in controls, directors and principal officer meet the fit and proper person requirements as specified in the Guidelines on Fit and Proper Requirements issued by Labuan FSA. It is expected that the employees employed to transact in the money broking business are competent and possess sound knowledge of the services offered.

4. Ensure that the counterparties, i.e. principal broker and liquidity provider are regulated by a recognised supervisory or regulatory authority.

5. Labuan money broking business is intended to serve the institutional investors and high-net worth individuals. In this regard, the Labuan money broker is expected to impose a maximum leverage limit of 100:1 on its clients’ trading transactions that would translate to a minimum of 1% margin deposit to enable the opening of a trade position. For illustration purpose, assuming that the transacted volume is USD100,000, the minimum margin requirement will be equivalent to USD1,000.

6. For Labuan money broker’s business model/customer interface which is exclusively or substantially electronic, proper management of technology risk must be in place:

a. data/system security and arrangements for IT systems maintenance, resilience and support must be supported by a dedicated IT staff;

b. notify Labuan FSA as soon as possible, upon discovery of any incident of system malfunction and intrusion; and

c. a root cause and impact analysis report must be submitted to Supervision and Monitoring Department within 14 days or such longer period as the Authority may allow, from the discovery of the incident. The report shall contain:

i. an executive summary of the relevant incident;

ii. an analysis of the root cause and the description of the impact of the relevant incident to the money broking business; and

iii.a description of the remedial measures taken to address the root cause and consequences of the relevant incident.

7. For Labuan money broker that undertakes Islamic money broking business, is required to appoint a qualified person to its internal Shariah advisory board to ensure that its management and operation are in compliance with Shariah principles. In this regard, the Directive on Islamic Financial Business in Labuan IBFC shall also be observed.

Operational Requirements

The LCA requires a Labuan company to employ the services of a trust company to act as its incorporation agent. The services offered by a trust company include, but are not limited to, the following:

1. Provides the registered office and resident secretary.

2. Performs the secretarial duties of the Labuan company including lodgement of any documents required under the LCA.

3. Makes available any of its trust officers for appointment as resident director and resident secretary.

Fees

Type of fees	Amount
Annual Fee	USD1,500
Marketing Office Fee	USD2,500

Governing Legislation, Related Guidelines and Circulars

For the latest governing legislation, related guidelines and circulars, please go to labuanfsa.gov.my

List of Labuan Money Brokers

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Read more in the Frequently Asked Questions section.

GO TO FAQs

Qatar Financial Centre

Qatar Financial Centre (QFC) is an onshore business and financial centre located in Doha. QFC offers its own legal, regulatory, tax and business environment.

Its business-friendly ecosystem operates in line with international best practice. As such, QFC is governed by the following four independent bodies – Qatar Financial Centre, Qatar Financial Centre Regulatory Authority as well as the Qatar International Court and Dispute Resolution Centre.

QFC Authority signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Labuan IBFC Inc. (23rd May 2023 – 22nd May 2026) to foster mutual understanding and facilitate common projects to market/develop both financial centres.

To know more about QFC, visit here.

The Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KADIN, West Java)

Kamar Dagang dan Industri Indonesia (KADIN) is an association comprising business organisations in Indonesia and is responsible for ensuring all trade and industry relating to Indonesia is carried out in a systematic and organised manner that benefits all parties involved.

KADIN consists of entrepreneurs and a combination of national businesses from various sectors, both privately-owned enterprises, cooperatives, SMEs, as well as government-owned enterprises.

KADIN, West Java signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Labuan IBFC Inc. (16th Sept 2022 – 15th Sept 2027) to market and facilitate new business set up in both Indonesia and Labuan IBFC.

For more information on KADIN, West Java, visit here.

Indonesian Exporters Association

The Indonesia Exporters Association (IEA) is a non-profit organization comprising exporters as well as institutions and departments related to export functions, including taxes and ports. The organization’s main function is to increase the country’s overall exports.

IEA offers networking services on multiple fronts, including transportation, logistics, producers/manufacturers as well as banking, funding, and restitution services to its members.

IEA signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Labuan IBFC Inc. (29th Nov 2022 – 28th Nov 2027) to market and facilitate the setup of new businesses in both Indonesia and Labuan IBFC.

For more information about IEA, visit here.

Council of Rector of Indonesia State University (CRISU)

The Council of Rector of Indonesia State University (CRISU) is a council formed by the rectors and directors of various universities and polytechnics in Indonesia.

CRISU signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Labuan IBFC Inc. (27th March 2024 – 26th March 2025) to facilitate the placement of Indonesian university students for internship purposes in Labuan IBFC businesses, subject to acceptance by the relevant Labuan entities.

Doreen Fadli

Head of Business Policy, Labuan FSA

Doreen is the Head of Business Policy at Labuan FSA. She is responsible for the formulation of developmental policies to promote businesses in Labuan IBFC. She is also on the insurance and risk assessment task forces at the authority. Prior to joining the business policy unit, she was head of the licensing department there.

Doreen is an Associate Member of The Malaysian Insurance Institute and Member of the Asian Institute of Chartered Bankers. She holds an MBA from Universiti Malaysia Sabah and a Bachelor of Accountancy with Honours from Universiti Teknologi Mara. She also holds certificates in AML/CFT and a Diploma in MII.

Nor Rashidi Mohammad

Chairman, Association of Labuan Banks
General Manager and Chief Executive Officer, Maybank International Labuan

Datuk Iskandar is the Deputy Director General of Labuan Financial Services Authority (Labuan FSA). He is currently serving as the Executive Chairman cum CEO of Labuan IBFC Inc. effective 1 February 2022.

He commenced his career in Bank Negara Malaysia and was seconded to Labuan FSA in 1996. Cumulatively, Datuk Iskandar has over 30 years of experience serving in financial services regulatory and supervisory agencies.

He brings to his current role a wealth of related knowledge and experience and leads a dedicated and professional team in Labuan IBFC Inc. that is focused on driving strategic business initiatives to further develop Labuan IBFC.

The appointment of Datuk Iskandar reflects the continuous commitment of Labuan FSA and the Government to position Labuan IBFC as a thriving business and financial centre under the next phase of its development

Dato’ Howard Choo

Chairman, Labuan Investment Bank Group
Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, IBH Investment Bank Limited

Dato’ Howard Choo is a financial services expert with over 35 years of experience in local and international banking. He is the former Executive Director of DBS Thai Danu Bank Thailand and MD, DBS Bank Singapore. Ex Vice-Chairman Singapore-Thai Chamber of Commerce and former Member of Executive Decision Panel, Bank of Thailand. He was an Adviser to University Malaysia Sabah (UMS) and University Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS) in International Business. He was Adviser to Persatuan Usahawan Muda Malaysia (PUMM) and Former Council member of MCA SME Development Bureau. He has been active with BNM since the 1990s in human resource knowledge enhancement activities.

An MBA (University of Wales and Manchester Business School) and a Fellow Member of Institute of Public Accountants, Australia (FIPA), Dato’ Howard Choo was also an Associate Member of the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators (ACIS). He was also a trainer for South East Asia Central Bank Training Centre (SEACEN) and author of several books on Banking and Finance. He was a tutor for Wawasan Open University in International Financial Management and Corporate Finance. Currently, he assumes the role of Education Committee Member of Asian Institute of Chartered Bankers (AICB), Implementation Task Force Member of Asian Banking School (ABS), Council member of the AICB and Chairman of the Board of Examiners. He is also the current Chairman of Labuan Investment Banks Group (LIBG). He is also a Fellow Chartered Banker and a professionally Certified AML/CFT person. He is also the examiner for Advance Corporate Finance for ICIA. He held the office of former President, Malaysia-Vietnam Chamber of Commerce.

Gerard Roy Suresh Sharma

Chairman, Labuan International Insurance Association
Managing Director and Principal Officer, Asia Reinsurance Brokers (Labuan) Ltd

G Roy S Sharma is the Principal Officer and Managing Director of an international reinsurance company based in Kuala Lumpur office. Other than being the country manager for Malaysia he is also responsible for developing and assisting their clients in Asia in certain specialized areas of insurance. His specialized areas include among others Political, Project & Credit Risk Insurance, Professional Indemnity, Management Liability Insurance, Financial Lines Insurance, Casualty Insurance, Extended Warranty Insurance and Affinity & Niche Solutions.

He read law in the City of London and was called to the Malaysian Bar as an Advocate & Solicitor. He started his career in the insurance industry in 1994 as an Insurance Broker and joined Antah Sedgwick Chartered Insurance Brokers, thereafter he joined, Aon Risk Services Malaysia and Aon Risk Services Singapore. In April 2006 Roy then joined Arthur J Gallagher Asia (L) Bhd a reinsurance broker that was rebranded as Asia Reinsurance Brokers (Labuan) Ltd in 2008 after a management buy out and was its MD since 2007.

Roy is a sought after speaker in his area of specialization. He has presented a variety of papers in many conferences and conducted many training seminars for insurance companies and insurance buyers around the region.

Roy is also the President Commissioner of PT ARB Indonesia and a Board member of ARB’s parent company. Roy is the current Chairman of the Labuan International Insurance Association.

Datuk Chin Chee Kee

Chairman, Association of Labuan Trust Companies Executive Chairman, Noblehouse International Trust Ltd.

Datuk Chin Chee Kee is currently the Executive Chairman of Noblehouse International Trust Ltd. And Managing Partner of CK Chin PLT, Chartered Accountants.

He is a member of the Malaysian Institute of Accountants, CA (M), a fellow of The Association of Chartered Certified Accountants, United Kingdom, – (FCCA), a Fellow of the Chartered Tax Institute of Malaysia (FCTIM), an Associate Fellow of Asian Institute of Chartered Bankers (Associate Fellow AICB), a member of the International Tax Planning Association (ITPA) and a Registered Trust and Estate Practitioner (TEP).

He is also the Chairman of the Association of Labuan Trust Companies and a director of Labuan IBFC Inc. Sdn Bhd. He was appointed a Justice of the Peace by the Governor of Sabah on September 16, 1997.

He also practices as an approved company auditor and an approved tax agent in the accounting firm of CK Chin PLT in Malaysia since 1987.

He has 35 years of experience in cross border tax planning and has been involved in the offshore trust industry and corporate secretarial work for the past 30 years.

Datuk Iskandar Mohd Nuli

Executive Chairman cum CEO, Labuan IBFC Inc.