Helping Malaysian SMEs understand competition law

The SME community in Malaysia has raised numerous concerns about the application of the Competition Act 2010 to their businesses. The concerns range from a claim that the Act should not apply to SMEs at all, to complaints that the Act is too complex for small businesses to understand.

The position taken by Malaysia in relation to SMEs is not uncommon. SMEs are subject to competition laws in many jurisdictions around the world including Australia, the United Kingdom, Singapore and India. This article explains why the Act should also apply to SMEs in Malaysia, what SMEs should be doing to ensure compliance and suggests some areas where help may be available.