Kuala Lumpur, June 2026
It was a pleasure to meet YBhg. Datuk Haji Iskandar Ismail, Chief Executive Officer of the Malaysia Competition Commission (MyCC), together with Ms. Bhavani Vadivelu, Director of the Appeal and Legal Advisory Division, and the MyCC team, for an exchange of views on competition law and policy in Malaysia.
Great leadership is not only about leading an organisation. It is also about building people, sharing knowledge and creating an environment where others can grow. That is exactly what we saw at MyCC.
Why competition law matters to every Malaysian business
As competition lawyers in Malaysia, we have always found the Competition Act 2010 one of the most interesting areas of commercial law, because it sits where law, business and economics meet.
Competition law does not stop a business from becoming big or successful. Businesses should compete, and compete hard. The line is between competing hard and preventing others from competing fairly. Conduct that crosses that line under the Competition Act 2010 includes:
- Price fixing, bid rigging, market sharing and other anti-competitive agreements (the Chapter 1 prohibition)
- Abuse of a dominant position, such as predatory pricing, exclusive dealing and refusal to supply (the Chapter 2 prohibition)
These practices distort the competitive process and, in the end, harm businesses, consumers and the economy. MyCC can impose financial penalties of up to 10 percent of worldwide turnover for the period of infringement, and companies affected by cartels can bring private claims for damages under section 64 of the Act.
What good competition law advice looks like
An arrangement can make perfect commercial sense to the parties and still carry serious consequences under competition law. Good advice does not simply say \”you cannot do this.\” It asks \”how do we achieve the commercial objective while staying within the law?\” That is the difference between competition compliance and competition risk.
A great regulator does not merely enforce the law. It helps build understanding of it. We are grateful to Datuk Iskandar, Ms. Bhavani and everyone at MyCC for the warm hospitality, the open discussion and their engagement with practitioners and stakeholders.
There is always something new to learn in competition law, and we look forward to the continued development of competition law and policy in Malaysia.
Khoo Ai Theng, Partner, Messrs Ng, Zainurul, Seke & Khoo (NZSK), Kuala Lumpur and Selangor. Competition law compliance, MyCC investigations, Competition Appeal Tribunal appeals and private competition actions. Learn more about our Competition Law practice.
