To check an off-plan project in Malaysia, match what the developer tells you against the official record before each payment. Start with the 2 official registers listed below, then ask the questions that the 22 projects we track in Malaysia most often leave open.
The check most often missing in Malaysia: deposit protection (not public for 14 of 22 projects).
- Official registers
- What projects here leave out
- Questions to ask the developer
- Free check
- Questions and answers
Step 1: official registers in Malaysia#
KPKT TEDUH (Malaysia)
- What it proves
- The developer’s licence, the project’s Advertising Permit and Developer’s Licence (APDL) and its status, reported progress, whether an extension of time was granted, and whether the project is listed as sick or abandoned.
- What it does not prove
- Build quality, or land title.
- How to search
- Search TEDUH by project or developer name and check the APDL is valid for the phase you are buying.
Open the official register (opens in a new tab) teduh.kpkt.gov.my
From our register guide.
Housing Development Account (HDA) (Malaysia)
- What it proves
- Under the Housing Development Act (Act 118) a licensed developer must pay buyers’ money into a Housing Development Account for the project, and withdrawals are restricted.
- What it does not prove
- There is no public search for the account: it does not show the balance or that your payment went in.
- How to search
- Check that your sale and purchase agreement names the HDA, and pay only into that account, never to a person or sales agent.
No public online search; ask the authority directly.
From our register guide.
Step 2: what off-plan projects in Malaysia leave out#
Share of the 22 tracked projects that make each check public, and how many are confirmed by an official register or independent source.
| Check | Public | Not public | Confirmed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Permit or licence number | 16 (73%) | 6 | 14 |
| Deposit protection | 8 (36%) | 14 | 11 |
| Construction progress | 13 (59%) | 9 | 17 |
| Site or floor plans | 17 (77%) | 5 | 4 |
| Developer track record | 17 (77%) | 5 | 11 |
| No guaranteed-return language | 22 (100%) | 0 | 0 |
Step 3: questions to ask the developer#
The questions our research agent raised most often for projects in Malaysia, with how many projects they apply to. Each one points at a gap in what the developer publishes.
- Completion advertised for 2028: does progress on site match? (21 of 22 projects)
- A permit number is published: does it exist in the official register and match this plot? (16 of 22 projects)
- No building permit mentioned: ask for the number before paying. (15 of 22 projects)
- No deposit protection published: will your payments go into an escrow or trust account in your name? (14 of 22 projects)
- A building permit is claimed: does it exist in the official system and match this plot? (7 of 22 projects)
- Title type not stated: leasehold, freehold or a company structure? (2 of 22 projects)
- Leasehold: is the lease registered, and is the base term the one advertised? (2 of 22 projects)
- Developer in financial trouble in public sources: ask the developer for the current status, in writing. (1 of 22 projects)
Send them in writing: ask the developer with our template.
Step 4: run a free check#
Paste the project page into the free desk review: our agent reads it, quotes every claim and looks it up in the registers above where it can. Then see all projects we track in Malaysia.
Questions and answers#
What should I check before buying off-plan in Malaysia?
The permit or licence number, deposit protection, construction progress, plans, the developer's track record and any guaranteed-return promise. In Malaysia the check most often missing is deposit protection (14 of 22 tracked projects do not publish it).
Is there an official register to check an off-plan project in Malaysia?
Yes: KPKT TEDUH; Housing Development Account (HDA).
What do developers in Malaysia most often leave unanswered?
Completion advertised for 2028: does progress on site match? (21 of 22 projects).
Are you the developer, or did we get something wrong? Send documents and we add your reply or correct the record: right of reply · corrections. Every figure here is computed from the open dataset (/data/bali-cases.json, CC BY 4.0) and changes when the data changes.