16 May 2026, Kuala Lumpur — ASEAN Records Sdn Bhd (ASEAN Records), an independent regional record certification platform, has reaffirmed its status as a genuine and legitimate organisation, whilst refuting and discrediting accusations from third parties earlier in the week. This comes after the company became aware of a series of public claims and statements circulating in the public domain regarding the company in early May 2026.
ASEAN Records is a legally incorporated Malaysian company holding two independent layers of approval — from the ASEAN Secretariat at the regional level, and from the Government of Malaysia at the national level — for the use of the name “ASEAN” in their corporate name and operations as an independent regional record certification platform.
Specifically, the company has obtained this approval from the ASEAN Secretariat under Reference CCAD/LSAD/UNA/2023/Vol.1/014 dated 1 December 2023, which was signed by His Excellency Tran Duc Binh, Deputy Secretary-General of ASEAN for Community and Corporate Affairs. The approval has been duly countersigned and remains in full force.
In addition, ASEAN Records holds Ministerial Approval from the Government of Malaysia under Section 27(3) of the Companies Act 2016 for the use of the gazetted word “ASEAN” in their corporate name (Reference P/S/2023/A/004396, dated 14 November 2023).
“Our two-tier approval reflects the lawful and transparent basis on which we operate. The accusations against ASEAN Records are wholly false and unsubstantiated. We have all the necessary documents and evidence, not only to support our stance but to directly refute the false statements made in this past week by other parties,” said Gillian Ooi, Managing Director & Chief Adjudicator at ASEAN Records.
Following the false statements made earlier in the week, particularly by an entity claiming to be named “Persatuan Pengguna Semenanjung Malaysia” (PPSM), ASEAN Records submitted a formal registrar search request. By a formal letter dated 13 May 2026, reference JPPM.WKL.600.2/1/1 JLD.13 (18), the Registrar of Societies Malaysia confirmed in writing that PPSM is not registered as a society in Malaysia.
ASEAN Records also discovered that the Facebook page operated under the “PPSM” name appears to have been created only recently — within May 2026 — and is categorised on that platform as a “Non-Governmental Organisation,” despite the absence of any formal registration as such with the Registrar of Societies.
ASEAN Records believes this gives PPSM no legal standing to represent consumers and calls into serious question the veracity of its statements, particularly with regard to receiving formal complaints from business entities.
A central feature of these claims from PPSM has been the public circulation of a letter dated 27 March 2026, bearing the reference APSC/PSD/PRM/2026/98, addressed to Mr Shamsul Zulkifli of the Peninsular Malaysia Consumers Association (understood to refer to PPSM), and purporting to be signed by H.E. Dr. Kao Kim Hourn, Secretary-General of ASEAN.
Further to this, ASEAN Records, through formal correspondence with Iga Ayu Sthiti Saraswati Kania, General Legal Affairs Division, Legal Services and Agreements Directorate, ASEAN Secretariat, Jakarta, on 14 May 2026, has also confirmed that the Secretariat did not issue any letter to PPSM or, in fact, have any correspondence with any third parties regarding ASEAN Records.
ASEAN Secretariat’s correspondence confirms in writing that the letter purportedly issued by the ASEAN Secretariat, as referenced by PPSM and subsequently by the Consumer Association Penang (CAP), was a forgery and was never issued by the ASEAN Secretariat.
“The facts are documented. The ASEAN Secretariat has confirmed in writing that the 27 March 2026 letter is a forgery. It is disheartening to see uncorroborated statements from an entity that, it turns out, does not even formally exist — so extensively damage the reputation of our brand. We will be taking the necessary legal action to protect the legitimate interests of our company, our record holders, and the integrity of the ASEAN name we are approved to use,” Gillian said.
In connection with these events, ASEAN Records’ co-directors have filed two police reports, at Balai Polis Kepong on 11 May and at Pejabat IPD Cheras on 15 May respectively. The matter is now under police investigation.
“We urge the public, as well as all brand owners, to base their decisions on verified, official sources before drawing conclusions. We also hope that any party who may have acted on incomplete or unverified information will, in light of the official confirmations, take the opportunity to review and correct such material as may be inaccurate. If you have been contacted or approached in connection with this matter, please reach out to us. We are ever ready to be transparent about this matter,” Gillian added.
ASEAN Records issues records as an independent regional certification platform — not as an organ, agency, or representative of the ASEAN Secretariat. This position has been consistent across all company materials, ceremonies, and communications since its launch. The records do not claim to be issued by the ASEAN Secretariat itself.
Speaking on the matter, Eldrick Koh, Managing Director and Co-Chief Adjudicator at ASEAN Records, said, “To every record holder, every partner, and every Malaysian who has stood by us — your records remain valid, your achievements remain real. We will defend the truth through every proper channel.”
Since its launch on 14 November 2024, ASEAN Records has issued more than 250 ASEAN-level record certifications — including to the Yang di-Pertua Negeri of Melaka — and has held nine Gather of Achievers ceremonies attended by over 1,500 participants in total. Record witnessing has been conducted by senior government personnel, including the Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia, Cabinet Ministers, and other senior government officials.
This statement is made on the basis of documents in the company’s possession and on written confirmations received from the relevant authorities, and without prejudice to such legal action as ASEAN Records may be advised to take.
ASEAN Records Sdn Bhd reserves all of its rights at law. No part of this statement should be construed as a final determination of any matter currently under investigation by the relevant authorities.
