Chartered Secretaries Malaysia (MAICSA)

Updated: 11 Nov 2020

Frequently Asked Questions

Continuing Professional Development (CPD)

No.	Questions	Answers
1.	When does my CPD cycle begin?	The CPD cycle commences on 1 January of each year for all existing MAICSA Members.
2.	When is the CPD cycle for the newly elected member?	The CPD cycle for a newly elected Associate Member will start in the year following the year of election.
3.	Do I have to accumulate the CPD hours for the renewal of membership fee e.g. we collect CPD hours in year for 2015 for renewal membership 2016?	The accumulation of the CPD hours has no relation to the renewal of membership.

CPD Requirements

No.

Questions

Answers

How many CPD hours am I required to do?

If you are a Member in the

a)	corporate secretarial practice sector, you are required to accumulate twenty (20) CPD hours per annum;
b)	non-corporate secretarial practice sector, you are required to accumulate four (4) CPD Hours per annum.

I am a MAICSA Member. Am I required to do CPD?

If you are a current Fellow or Associate Member, and is not a Retired or Life Member, you are required to do CPD.

With effect from 2019 CPD year, members who are not in CSP and age 60 years and above are exempted from having to comply with Mandatory CPD.

Under what circumstances can I apply for an exemption from the CPD requirements?

You can apply for exemptions in certain circumstances, please refer to the section on REQUIREMENTS. All applications for exemptions will be considered on a case to case basis.

I am a Member and work as freelancer in the area of accounts and company secretarial practice, what is my CPD requirement?

You need to accumulate 20 CPD hours per annum since your work is in the area of company secretarial practice.

Do I need to collect CPD hours if I am a lapsed member?

No. A lapsed member is not a Member of MAICSA and is not bound by the CPD requirements. However, if you reinstate as a member, you will need to comply with the CPD requirements in the year following the year of your re-instatement.

Are Retired Members required to do CPD?

No, Retired Members are not required to do CPD.

10.

Can a Member who is on maternity leave in the CPD year be exempted?

Yes, please refer to the section on REQUIREMENTS.

11.

If a Member is a housewife who is working on a part-time or freelance basis, does she need to comply with the CPD requirements?

Yes, as long as she continues to work on a part-time or freelance basis.

Getting It Done

No.	Questions	Answers
12.	How are the CPD hours allocated?	Please refer to the item on Recognised CPD Activities.
13.	If I have obtained more than the required CPD credit hours for a particular CPD cycle, can the excess CPD credit hours be carried forward to the next CPD cycle?	Yes, with the effect from 2017 CPD year, all members who have complied with their CPD Hours for a particular year and have attained additional CPD Hours, are permitted to carry forward a maximum of five (5) CPD Hours to the following year.
14.	Will CPD hours be awarded to me if I have to leave during the CPD course to attend an important client meeting or have to catch my flight or need to attend an exam?	No. You will not get your CPD hours if you are not present for the full duration of the training programme.
15.	Since CPD is compulsory and not voluntary, does it mean that I can attend courses on company time?	You will need to check that with your own organisation.
16.	Can I attend the same course every year and still collect CPD hours?	Yes, as long as it is a recognised course and relevant to your work. However, it is in your interests to attend different courses and programmes to improve and enhance your professional competence and keep updated with developments.
17.	Will there be sufficient courses for me to attend?	In addition to CPD courses conducted by MAICSA, you may also attend other relevant courses organised by regulators, other professional bodies and recognised training providers and organisations.
18.	I work in a small town. It would be inconvenient and difficult for me to keep making trips to Kuala Lumpur to attend the courses.	You may attend relevant CPD courses organised by regulators, other professional bodies and recognised training providers and organisations outside of the Klang Valley.
19.	Can I collect CPD hours for being one of the speakers in a panel of a CPD course which I also attended as a participant?	You can only claim your CPD hours for being either a speaker or a participant at the same event, but not for both.
20.	Will an extension period be given if I fail to collect sufficient CPD hours within the time frame?	No extension of time will be given to you to meet the minimum requirements except under special circumstances. You will need to submit an application for consideration by the Membership Committee.
21.	Must I attend only MAICSA CPD events to claim the CPD credit hours?	No, a Member may also attend relevant courses organised by regulators, other professional bodies and recognised training providers and organisations, as long as they are related to your profession or are relevant to your work.
22.	How can I ascertain if a certain course or seminar would be recognised by the Institute for CPD purposes?	Please refer to the item on Recognised CPD Activities. If in doubt, please contact the Members Department for clarification.
23.	Is attending a cookery course considered as part of the CPD or do we have to attend the courses that are related to our work?	Cookery courses are not considered as part of CPD for Members. (NEW)
24.	I am a Member but my work does not relate to company secretarial practice. If I attend conferences and seminar such as accounting, finance, taxation, management and etc, do they meet the CPD requirements?	Yes, such courses will meet the CPD requirements. Please refer to the item on Recognised CPD Activities for further details.

Recording and Declaring CPD

No.	Questions	Answers
25.	How do I keep the records of my attendance of CPD courses?	You need to maintain a record of your participation at CPD events via online in the CPD Tracker System. It is your responsibility to ensure that appropriate CPD hours are awarded from attending a CPD course. You can check your accumulated CPD hours from the Tracker System.
26.	What kind of records should I maintain?	Please refer to the item on Recognised CPD Activities and Evidences. You need to keep the evidence for a period of one year in case you are being audited and requested to provide evidence.
27.	How do I declare I’ve completed CPD for the year?	In the CPD Tracker System, once you have completed the required CPD hours you will automatically be taken to the declaration page where you will need to tick the relevant box.

Monitoring

No.	Questions	Answers
28.	How does the Institute select its Members for CPD audit?	Once the CPD cycle is over on 31 December, the Institute will check all Members’ records to make sure that Members who have been selected for the CPD Audit have complied with the CPD requirements. Members will be selected randomly to submit their CPD records.
29.	Will MAICSA take action against those who fail to comply with the mandatory CPD requirement?	Failure to maintain and improve professional competence by complying with the mandatory CPD requirements is a violation of the regulations of the Institute and may subject Members to disciplinary action in accordance with the ICSA Charter and Bye-Laws.
30.	If I am unable to provide evidence of attendance for CPD activities, will I still be granted the CPD credit hours?	No. CPD hours will not be granted if you cannot provide evidence of such compliance if called upon to do so.

Further Information and Advice

No.	Questions	Answers
31.	If I have any queries regarding CPD requirements or CPD compliance, to whom should I address my queries?	Please contact the Member Department at members@maicsa.org.my for further information and clarification.