Legal documents
Power of attorney attestation in Malaysia
A letter of power of attorney is named directly on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs attestation list, and it always starts with a notary.
The notary comes first, always
The Ministry requires a Notary Public to certify a power of attorney before it will attest the document. That is true whether the instrument is short or long, and whether it is general or limited in scope.
After the notary and Wisma Putra, the destination country's embassy in Kuala Lumpur completes the chain.
- 01
Issuing authority or notary public
The document is verified at source, or certified as a true copy by a notary public.
- 02
The relevant ministry
Education certificates go through the education authorities. Other documents go through the ministry that governs them.
- 03
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
The consular division at Wisma Putra in Putrajaya legalises the document for use abroad.
- 04
The destination embassy
The embassy or consulate of the destination country adds the final stamp. Most sit in Kuala Lumpur, a few in Putrajaya.
The wording is decided before the chain starts
A power of attorney is drafted to do a specific job in a specific country, and the receiving party abroad usually dictates the wording. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs requires a Notary Public to certify it before attestation.
Changing a single clause after notarisation means the whole chain restarts, so the text is worth settling first even if that costs a few days.
Commonly needed for
- Authorising a representative to act on property abroad
- Company representation in a foreign jurisdiction
- Managing an estate or inheritance overseas
- Banking and financial instructions from abroad
Worth knowing
Ask the receiving party abroad for their required wording in writing before you notarise anything.
Questions
Does the wording of the power of attorney matter?
The receiving party abroad usually dictates the wording. Check their requirements before notarising, because changing it afterwards means starting the chain again.
Do both parties need to be present?
That is a matter for the notary. We confirm the notary's requirement before scheduling.
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