Can Malaysian Residents Trade With a Labuan-Licensed Broker?
Labuan FSA's own FAQ bars Labuan money brokers from dealing with residents. What that means for a trader in KL, and the surrendered list nobody checks.
All essays
Is Tickmill Regulated in Malaysia? Who Actually Signs You
No. Labuan licence surrendered January 2025; a tickmill.com client signs with the Seychelles company. The full entity map, checked 11 September 2026.
Four Regulators in HFM's Footer, and the Square of the Map They Don't Cover
The Philippine SEC's advisory against HFM sets four published licence numbers beside one jurisdiction that recognises none of them. A dated status check, not breaking news.
Malaysia's Alert Lists, Reviewed: What BNM's and the SC's Warnings Actually Prove
Malaysia's central bank and securities regulator each keep a warning list, and neither one is a licence register. Checked on 3 September 2026: what each covers, what a listing on each means, and why a blank search result settles nothing.
Bappebti Grades Its Brokers, and 66 of 67 Get an A
Indonesia's regulator published its April–June 2026 broker rating on 12 August. The grades are real, and the register beneath them is better still — but the letter beside a company's name belongs to one onshore entity only.
Vietnam Starts Fining the Trader, Not Just the Platform
Decree 284/2026 takes effect on 1 September and reaches the individual account holder, not only the platform. It draws a border around one square of the map, and leaves the retail FX square beside it as blank as it was.
Valetax, Reviewed for the Region: One Licence, One Registration
Two companies stand behind the Valetax brand — a Mauritius entity publishing an investment dealer licence number, and a St Vincent business company. Only one of those numbers is a financial licence at all, and which company signed you decides what you actually hold.
Mitrade, Reviewed for the Region: Six Entities, None of Them Here
Mitrade publishes a fuller entity map than almost any broker marketing into Southeast Asia — six companies, six jurisdictions, six licence numbers. The review is about the part of the map left blank.