Bursa Malaysia Berhad has confirmed that it will be subject to a new RM28 million annual fixed regulatory fee payable to the Securities Commission Malaysia (SC), effective from January 1, 2026.
The update follows the gazetting of the Capital Markets and Services (Fees) Regulations 2025 and the Securities Commission Malaysia (Rate of Levy for Purchase or Sale of Securities and Derivatives) Order 2025. Despite the introduction of a new levy on derivatives contracts, Bursa clarified that there will be no additional cost impact to market participants on Bursa Malaysia Derivatives (BMD) for the next three years.
The SC has introduced a tiered cap on the total fees payable by Bursa Malaysia to ensure a manageable transition over the next three-year period.
The RM28 million fixed fee is the primary component of this new financial obligation. Bursa intends to manage these costs through internal efficiencies and by seeking funding for market development from the Capital Market Development Fund (CMDF).
While the new Levy Order specifies a levy rate of 37.5% on both trading and clearing fees for derivatives contracts, traders will not see a price hike.
In a letter dated January 5, the SC confirmed that trading and clearing fees for purchasers and sellers remain unchanged. Bursa Malaysia will instead remit the required levy to the SC from the existing fees it already collects. This arrangement is set to last until 2028, effectively shielding market participants from the new regulatory cost
The new regulations also introduce fees for other entities within the Bursa Group, specifically targeting Recognized Market Operators (RMOs):
Bursa Malaysia RAM Capital (BR Capital) & Bursa Malaysia Bonds: Subject to an annual fee of 0.3% of gross revenue or RM20,000, whichever is higher.
BR Capital: A trading fee of 0.0075% will be applied to the total value of securities transactions conducted on its platform.
This fee overhaul marks the first significant revision to the SC’s revenue base since the 1990s. As the Malaysian capital market has grown to over RM4 trillion, the regulator is shifting toward a more sustainable funding model to support its modern supervisory and enforcement roles.
To offset these new expenses, Bursa Malaysia had previously announced its first revision to listing and regulatory fees since 2001, which also took effect on January 1, 2026. The exchange expects the additional revenue from its own fee revisions—estimated between RM28 million and RM34 million annually—to largely neutralize the impact of the new SC fees on its bottom line.
