{
  "$schema": "https://govschema.org/spec/v0.3/govschema.schema.json",
  "govschemaVersion": "0.3.0",
  "id": "my/ssm/sole-proprietorship-partnership-registration",
  "version": "1.0.0",
  "title": "Malaysia Sole Proprietorship/Partnership Business Registration (Form A, Borang A)",
  "description": "Form A (\"Borang A\"), the statutory application through which a person responsible for a new sole proprietorship or partnership registers the business with the Registrar of Businesses, made under Rule 3 of the Registration of Businesses Rules 1957 (First Schedule) and required by section 5 of the Registration of Businesses Act 1956 (Act 197). Act 197 s.5(1) requires the person responsible for a business to apply for registration not later than thirty days from the date of the commencement of the business. This is Malaysia's separate business-name/sole-trader-and-partnership registry (administered today by Suruhanjaya Syarikat Malaysia, SSM, as successor Registrar of Businesses under the Companies Commission of Malaysia Act 2001) — distinct from SSM's other, company (Companies Act 2016) incorporation regime, whose own \"Superform\" specimen a prior GovSchema cycle (GOV-1774) examined and rejected as a zero-AcroForm-field, too-thin specimen printout. Scope: this schema models ONLY Form A, the first-registration form. Form A1 (\"Permohonan Pembaharuan Pendaftaran Perniagaan\" / renewal of an existing registration, Rule 5) and Form B (\"Pendaftaran Perubahan-Perubahan Dalam Perniagaan\" / registration of changes to an already-registered business, Rule 6) are printed on the same First Schedule page as Form A's own siblings but are a distinct renewal transaction and a distinct amendment transaction respectively, and are out of scope of this document — see VERIFICATION.md. Form A's own printed layout carries a single Owner's/Partner's Particulars block (items 1-10); this schema likewise models a single owner/partner's particulars, disclosed in VERIFICATION.md as a scope limit for a partnership with more than one partner (GovSchema's v0.3 spec line has no repeating/array field type, GSP-0009, not yet folded in). GovSchema is independent and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or operated by the Government of Malaysia or Suruhanjaya Syarikat Malaysia.",
  "status": "draft",
  "jurisdiction": {
    "country": "MY",
    "level": "national"
  },
  "authority": {
    "name": "Suruhanjaya Syarikat Malaysia (Companies Commission of Malaysia)",
    "abbreviation": "SSM",
    "url": "https://www.ssm.com.my/"
  },
  "process": {
    "type": "registration",
    "language": "ms"
  },
  "source": {
    "url": "https://www.ssm.com.my/acts/fscommand/pua0282y1957sc001.htm",
    "retrievedAt": "2026-07-09",
    "documentRef": "Form A (Borang A, Kaedah 3/Rule 3), First Schedule to the Registration of Businesses Rules 1957 (P.U.(A) 282/1957/L.N. 282/57), made under the Registration of Businesses Act 1956 (Act 197, Revised 1979)"
  },
  "verification": {
    "method": "manual-source-review-v1",
    "lastVerifiedAt": "2026-07-09",
    "verifiedBy": "GovSchema Engineering (Standards Engineer)",
    "nextReviewBy": "2027-01-09",
    "notes": "GOV-1938: GovSchema Standard Research cycle, closing Malaysia's Business Formation gap (its sole remaining open, unscreened vertical after DMV/Passport/Visa — GOV-1774/GOV-1783/GOV-1789). A prior cycle (GOV-1774) had already searched for and failed to find a live, directly downloadable copy of SSM's own 'Form A' sole-proprietorship form, leaving only the Companies Act 2016 s.14 'Superform' (rejected as a zero-AcroForm-field, too-thin specimen) screened for this vertical. This cycle located Form A published directly and unauthenticated on ssm.com.my as the First Schedule to the Registration of Businesses Rules 1957 (a different statute, Act 197, from the Companies Act 2016 regime the rejected Superform belongs to), fetched it fresh, and cross-read the parent Act 197 for registration-deadline/legal-grounding context. See VERIFICATION.md for the full source re-fetch record, field-by-field provenance, and every disclosed scope/judgment call (including the two undecoded 'Kod (2)' internal SSM code boxes, the single owner/partner particulars block, and the deferred Form A1/B siblings)."
  },
  "maturity": {
    "level": "structural-reference",
    "criteria": {
      "structuralReference": true,
      "verifiedSchema": false,
      "agentReadySchema": false,
      "executionTestedSchema": false
    },
    "method": "maturity-self-assessment-v1",
    "assertedBy": "GovSchema Engineering (Standards Engineer)",
    "assertedAt": "2026-07-09"
  },
  "license": "CC-BY-4.0",
  "fields": [
    {
      "name": "businessName",
      "label": "Nama perniagaan (Huruf Besar)",
      "type": "string",
      "required": true,
      "description": "The business name, in block/capital letters.",
      "sourceRef": "Form A, 'Nama perniagaan (Huruf Besar) / Business name (Block Letters)'"
    },
    {
      "name": "businessNameChinese",
      "label": "Jika nama Cina tuliskan dengan huruf Cina",
      "type": "string",
      "description": "The business name in Chinese characters, if the business name is Chinese.",
      "sourceRef": "Form A, 'Jika nama Cina tuliskan dengan huruf Cina / If such name is Chinese give name in Chinese Character'"
    },
    {
      "name": "dateOfCommencement",
      "label": "Tarikh permulaan",
      "type": "date",
      "required": true,
      "description": "The date the business commenced (or will commence) operating. Act 197 s.5(1) requires the person responsible for the business to apply for this registration not later than thirty days from this date.",
      "sourceRef": "Form A, 'Tarikh permulaan / Date of commencement'"
    },
    {
      "name": "constitutionOfBusiness",
      "label": "Bentuk perniagaan",
      "type": "enum",
      "required": true,
      "description": "The legal constitution of the business being registered.",
      "sourceRef": "Form A, 'Bentuk perniagaan / Constitution of Business' checkboxes: 'Kepunyaan Tunggal/Sole Proprietorship', 'Perkongsian/Partnership'",
      "validation": {
        "enum": ["sole_proprietorship", "partnership"]
      }
    },
    {
      "name": "writtenPartnershipAgreementExists",
      "label": "Sebutkan jika ada suatu perjanjian bertulis berkenaan dengan syarat-syarat perkongsian itu",
      "type": "boolean",
      "required": false,
      "requiredWhen": {
        "field": "constitutionOfBusiness",
        "equals": "partnership"
      },
      "description": "Whether there is a written agreement as to the terms of the partnership. The form prints this Ya/Yes-Tidak/No question unconditionally, but it is only meaningful for a partnership; this schema gates it to constitutionOfBusiness being 'partnership' as a disclosed judgment call, not a printed conditional on the form itself — see VERIFICATION.md.",
      "sourceRef": "Form A, 'State whether there is a written agreement as to the term of the partnership. If so, give date and attach a copy of the agreement verified by signatures.' checkboxes: 'Ya/Yes', 'Tidak/No'"
    },
    {
      "name": "partnershipAgreementDate",
      "label": "Tarikh",
      "type": "date",
      "required": false,
      "requiredWhen": {
        "field": "writtenPartnershipAgreementExists",
        "equals": true
      },
      "description": "The date of the written partnership agreement, required when one exists.",
      "sourceRef": "Form A, 'Tarikh / Date' (directly beneath the written-partnership-agreement Ya/Yes-Tidak/No line)"
    },
    {
      "name": "principalPlaceOfBusinessAddress",
      "label": "Tempat Utama perniagaan",
      "type": "string",
      "required": true,
      "description": "The address of the principal place of the business.",
      "sourceRef": "Form A, 'Tempat Utama perniagaan / Principal place of the business'"
    },
    {
      "name": "principalPlaceOfBusinessCode",
      "label": "Kod (2)",
      "type": "string",
      "description": "A 2-character code printed in a narrow column directly beside the principal-place-of-business address row. Neither Form A, the Registration of Businesses Rules 1957, nor the Registration of Businesses Act 1956 explains this code's meaning anywhere in the source text examined; it is modelled as an optional free-form 1-2 character value rather than a fabricated closed enum — see VERIFICATION.md.",
      "sourceRef": "Form A, 'Kod (2)' column beside 'Tempat Utama perniagaan / Principal place of the business'",
      "validation": {
        "pattern": "^[A-Za-z0-9]{1,2}$"
      }
    },
    {
      "name": "postalAddress",
      "label": "Alamat Pos",
      "type": "string",
      "description": "The business's postal address, if different from the principal place of business.",
      "sourceRef": "Form A, 'Alamat Pos / Postal Address'"
    },
    {
      "name": "natureOfBusinessPrimary",
      "label": "Jenis perniagaan sebenar dijalankan sekarang",
      "type": "string",
      "required": true,
      "description": "The actual nature of the business currently carried on, e.g. 'Restoran'/'Restaurant', 'Kedai Runcit'/'Provisions Shop', per the form's own example.",
      "sourceRef": "Form A, 'Jenis perniagaan sebenar dijalankan sekarang / Actual nature of the business carrying on now', first of up to 8 blank lines printed on the source"
    },
    {
      "name": "natureOfBusinessSecondary",
      "label": "Jenis perniagaan sebenar dijalankan sekarang (2)",
      "type": "string",
      "description": "A second nature-of-business activity, if the business carries on more than one. Form A's own printed layout provides up to 8 blank lines for this purpose; this schema models the first two as a bounded convention (no repeating/array field type in this spec line, GSP-0009) — see VERIFICATION.md.",
      "sourceRef": "Form A, second of up to 8 blank lines beneath 'Jenis perniagaan sebenar dijalankan sekarang / Actual nature of the business carrying on now'"
    },
    {
      "name": "natureOfBusinessCode",
      "label": "Kod (2)",
      "type": "string",
      "description": "A 2-character code printed beside the nature-of-business lines, inside a small bordered box. Its caption 'Kod (2)' is printed twice in the source's own raw layout (once above and once below the bordered box), which this schema reads as one code value rather than two distinct codes — its precise meaning (e.g. an internal SSM business-classification code) is not explained anywhere in the source text examined; modelled as an optional free-form value, not a fabricated closed enum — see VERIFICATION.md.",
      "sourceRef": "Form A, 'Kod (2)' bordered box beside 'Jenis perniagaan sebenar dijalankan sekarang / Actual nature of the business carrying on now'",
      "validation": {
        "pattern": "^[A-Za-z0-9]{1,2}$"
      }
    },
    {
      "name": "businessBranches",
      "label": "Cawangan-cawangan perniagaan",
      "type": "string",
      "description": "Branches of the business, if any, as a free-text list (the source prints up to 4 blank lines for this purpose).",
      "sourceRef": "Form A, 'Cawangan-cawangan perniagaan / Branches of the business'"
    },
    {
      "name": "declarationDate",
      "label": "Bertarikh",
      "type": "date",
      "required": true,
      "description": "The date the declaration is signed by the sole proprietor or a principal partner of the business.",
      "sourceRef": "Form A, 'Bertarikh pada .... haribulan .... 19.... / Dated this .... day of .... 19....', beside 'Tandatangan / Signature'"
    },
    {
      "name": "ownerOrPartnerName",
      "label": "1. Nama Pemilik/Ahli Kongsi",
      "type": "string",
      "required": true,
      "classification": "pii",
      "description": "The name of the owner or partner. Form A's own printed layout carries a single Owner's/Partner's Particulars block (items 1-10); this schema models exactly one owner/partner's particulars, disclosed in VERIFICATION.md as a scope limit for a partnership of more than one partner.",
      "sourceRef": "Form A, Owner's/Partner's Particulars, item 1 'Nama Pemilik/Ahli Kongsi / Name of Owner/Partner'"
    },
    {
      "name": "ownerOrPartnerResidentialAddress",
      "label": "2. Alamat Rumah",
      "type": "string",
      "required": true,
      "classification": "pii",
      "description": "The residential address of the owner/partner.",
      "sourceRef": "Form A, Owner's/Partner's Particulars, item 2 'Alamat Rumah / Residential Address'"
    },
    {
      "name": "ownerOrPartnerChineseName",
      "label": "3. Jika nama Cina, Tuliskan Huruf Cina",
      "type": "string",
      "classification": "pii",
      "description": "The owner/partner's name in Chinese characters, if it is a Chinese name.",
      "sourceRef": "Form A, Owner's/Partner's Particulars, item 3 'Jika nama Cina, Tuliskan Huruf Cina / If Chinese Name, Chinese Characters'"
    },
    {
      "name": "ownerOrPartnerIdentificationType",
      "label": "4. No.Kad Pengenalan/Paspot",
      "type": "enum",
      "required": true,
      "description": "Whether the owner/partner's identification number below is a passport number or a Malaysian identity card (Kad Pengenalan) number.",
      "sourceRef": "Form A, Owner's/Partner's Particulars, item 4 'No.Kad Pengenalan/Paspot / I.C./Passport No.' options 'Paspot/Passport', 'Kad Pengenalan/Identity Card'",
      "validation": {
        "enum": ["passport", "identity_card"]
      }
    },
    {
      "name": "ownerOrPartnerIdentificationNumber",
      "label": "4. No.Kad Pengenalan/Paspot",
      "type": "string",
      "required": true,
      "classification": "sensitive-pii",
      "description": "The owner/partner's passport number or identity card number, per the type selected in ownerOrPartnerIdentificationType.",
      "sourceRef": "Form A, Owner's/Partner's Particulars, item 4 'No.Kad Pengenalan/Paspot / I.C./Passport No.'"
    },
    {
      "name": "ownerOrPartnerAssociationEventDate",
      "label": "5. Tarikh/Date of",
      "type": "date",
      "required": true,
      "description": "The date of the association event named in ownerOrPartnerAssociationEventType (e.g. the date of entry into the business).",
      "sourceRef": "Form A, Owner's/Partner's Particulars, item 5 'Tarikh/Date of'"
    },
    {
      "name": "ownerOrPartnerPositionOrAssociationNature",
      "label": "6. Butir Jawatan Tertentu Dipegang atau Cara Perkaitan dengan Perniagaan",
      "type": "string",
      "required": true,
      "description": "The particular position held, or the nature of the owner/partner's association with the business.",
      "sourceRef": "Form A, Owner's/Partner's Particulars, item 6 'Butir Jawatan Tertentu Dipegang atau Cara Perkaitan dengan Perniagaan / Particular Position Held or Nature of Association with Business'"
    },
    {
      "name": "ownerOrPartnerAssociationEventType",
      "label": "6. (checkboxes)",
      "type": "enum",
      "required": true,
      "description": "The nature of the change in the owner/partner's association with the business being reported by this filing.",
      "sourceRef": "Form A, Owner's/Partner's Particulars, item 6 checkboxes: 'Masuk/Entry', 'Pertukaran/Change', 'Menarik Diri/Withdrawal', 'Kematian/Death', 'Sukarela/Voluntary', 'Lain-lain/Others'",
      "validation": {
        "enum": ["entry", "change", "withdrawal", "death", "voluntary", "others"]
      }
    },
    {
      "name": "ownerOrPartnerPercentageShare",
      "label": "Peratus Saham Perniagaan",
      "type": "number",
      "description": "The owner/partner's percentage share of the business.",
      "sourceRef": "Form A, Owner's/Partner's Particulars, 'Peratus Saham Perniagaan / Percentage Share of Business' (same row as item 6)",
      "validation": {
        "minimum": 0,
        "maximum": 100
      }
    },
    {
      "name": "ownerOrPartnerRace",
      "label": "7. Bangsa",
      "type": "enum",
      "required": true,
      "classification": "sensitive-pii",
      "description": "The owner/partner's race.",
      "sourceRef": "Form A, Owner's/Partner's Particulars, item 7 'Bangsa/Race' checkboxes: 'Melayu/Malay', 'China/Chinese', 'India/Indian', 'Lain-lain/Others'",
      "validation": {
        "enum": ["malay", "chinese", "indian", "others"]
      }
    },
    {
      "name": "ownerOrPartnerNationality",
      "label": "8. Kewarganegaraan",
      "type": "string",
      "required": true,
      "classification": "pii",
      "description": "The owner/partner's nationality.",
      "sourceRef": "Form A, Owner's/Partner's Particulars, item 8 'Kewarganegaraan/Nationality'"
    },
    {
      "name": "ownerOrPartnerDateOfBirth",
      "label": "9. Tarikh Lahir",
      "type": "date",
      "required": true,
      "classification": "sensitive-pii",
      "description": "The owner/partner's date of birth (Hari Bl. Th. / Day Mo. Yr.).",
      "sourceRef": "Form A, Owner's/Partner's Particulars, item 9 'Tarikh Lahir / Date of Birth'"
    },
    {
      "name": "ownerOrPartnerSex",
      "label": "10. Jantina",
      "type": "enum",
      "required": true,
      "classification": "pii",
      "description": "The owner/partner's sex.",
      "sourceRef": "Form A, Owner's/Partner's Particulars, item 10 'Jantina/Sex' checkboxes: 'Laki-laki/Male', 'Perempuan/Female'",
      "validation": {
        "enum": ["male", "female"]
      }
    }
  ],
  "documents": [
    {
      "id": "writtenPartnershipAgreementCopy",
      "label": "Certified copy of the written partnership agreement",
      "category": "supporting-evidence",
      "required": false,
      "requiredWhen": {
        "field": "writtenPartnershipAgreementExists",
        "equals": true
      },
      "sourceRef": "Form A, 'If so, give date and attach a copy of the agreement verified by signatures.'"
    },
    {
      "id": "signedDeclaration",
      "label": "Signature of the sole proprietor or a principal partner",
      "category": "attestation",
      "required": true,
      "issuingAuthority": "Self-attested by the sole proprietor or a principal partner of the business",
      "sourceRef": "Form A, 'Tandatangan / Signature', with the printed instruction '(Hendaklah ditandatangani oleh tuan punya tunggal atau seorang kongsi utama perniagaan itu) / (Should be signed by the sole-proprietor or principal partner of the business)'"
    },
    {
      "id": "associatesVerificationAttestation",
      "label": "Verification by associates",
      "category": "attestation",
      "required": true,
      "statement": "Saya/Kami yang bertandatangan di bawah ini mengesahkan bahawa segala kenyataan-kenyataan yang dibuat dalam borang ini adalah tepat dan mengaku bahawa saya/kami adalah sekutu-sekutu dalam perniagaan yang bernama .............................................. / I/We the understand confirm the accuracy of all the statements made in the form and declare that I/We am an/are associate(s) of the business the mane of which is ..................................................................................",
      "sourceRef": "Form A, 'PENGESAHAN OLEH SEKUTU-SEKUTU / VERIFICATION BY ASSOCIATES', requiring the full name(s) and identity card number(s)/colour of each associate and their signature(s)/right thumbprint(s) and date; this schema models it as unconditionally required, since the form prints it without a visible conditional gate — see VERIFICATION.md for the disclosed ambiguity as to its literal applicability to a single-owner sole proprietorship."
    },
    {
      "id": "verifyingOfficerAttestation",
      "label": "Certification by a verifying officer that the associates' signatures/thumbprints were affixed in their presence",
      "category": "attestation",
      "required": true,
      "issuingAuthority": "An authorised verifying officer: within Malaysia, a Judge, President of a Sessions Court, Magistrate, Notary Public, Justice of the Peace, Advocate or Solicitor, Member of Parliament or a State Legislative Assembly or State Executive Council, Commissioner for Oaths, Commissioner for Labour, Chinese Affairs Officer, District Officer, or an officer authorised by the Commissioner for Labour or District Officer; within the Commonwealth, an equivalent officer entitled to practise there or a Consular Officer; outside the Commonwealth, a Notary Public, Consular Officer, or Diplomatic Officer performing consular functions",
      "statement": "Saya mengaku bahawa tandatangan (2)/cap (2) ibu jari kanan di atas ...................................... telah diturunkan pada akuan di atas ini di hadapan saya setelah saya berpuashati bahawa orang-orang yang menurunkan tandatangan (2)/cap (2) ibu jari kanan itu adalah sebenarnya orang-orang yang namanya tersebut dalam akuan itu dan ia/mereka faham maksud akuan itu. / I certify that the signature(s)/right thumb print(s) above ................................ was/were affixed to the above declaration in my presence after I had satisfied myself that the person(s) so affixing such signature(s)/right thumb print(s) was/were in fact the person(s) named in such declaration and understood the purport of such declaration.",
      "sourceRef": "Form A, verifying-officer certification block beneath 'PENGESAHAN OLEH SEKUTU-SEKUTU / VERIFICATION BY ASSOCIATES', with the 'CATATAN/NOTE' list of authorised verifying-officer categories"
    }
  ],
  "steps": [
    {
      "id": "business_particulars",
      "title": "Business name, commencement date, and constitution",
      "fields": [
        "businessName",
        "businessNameChinese",
        "dateOfCommencement",
        "constitutionOfBusiness",
        "writtenPartnershipAgreementExists",
        "partnershipAgreementDate"
      ],
      "next": "business_location"
    },
    {
      "id": "business_location",
      "title": "Place of business, nature of business, and branches",
      "fields": [
        "principalPlaceOfBusinessAddress",
        "principalPlaceOfBusinessCode",
        "postalAddress",
        "natureOfBusinessPrimary",
        "natureOfBusinessSecondary",
        "natureOfBusinessCode",
        "businessBranches"
      ],
      "next": "declaration"
    },
    {
      "id": "declaration",
      "title": "Dated declaration by the sole proprietor/principal partner",
      "fields": ["declarationDate"],
      "next": "owner_partner_particulars"
    },
    {
      "id": "owner_partner_particulars",
      "title": "Owner's/Partner's Particulars",
      "fields": [
        "ownerOrPartnerName",
        "ownerOrPartnerResidentialAddress",
        "ownerOrPartnerChineseName",
        "ownerOrPartnerIdentificationType",
        "ownerOrPartnerIdentificationNumber",
        "ownerOrPartnerAssociationEventDate",
        "ownerOrPartnerPositionOrAssociationNature",
        "ownerOrPartnerAssociationEventType",
        "ownerOrPartnerPercentageShare",
        "ownerOrPartnerRace",
        "ownerOrPartnerNationality",
        "ownerOrPartnerDateOfBirth",
        "ownerOrPartnerSex"
      ]
    }
  ]
}