The central bank, Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM), regulates all financial institutions. BNM has issued codes of conduct and rules to ensure the smooth functioning of the bond market.

The Securities Commission (SC) is the primary authority that regulates and develops Malaysia's bond market. The SC reports to the Minister of Finance. It regulates the capital market through the following laws: Securities Industry Act 1983, Securities Commission Act 1993, Securities Industry (Central Depositories) Act 1991, and Futures Industry Act 1993.

In July 2000,the SC became the single approval authority for all corporate bond issues including asset-backed securities. The SC's Private Debt Securities Department processes applications for issuing private debt securities that require prior approval from the SC. These are lodged with the Companies Commission of Malaysia (formerly the Registrar of Companies). To increase efficiency in the capital markets, the SC has adopted a Disclosure-Based Regulation (DBR) framework. DBR is discussed further at the "Securities Commission - Market Readiness for Disclosure-Based Regulation" link below.

Bursa Malaysia (formerly the Kuala Lumpur Stock Exchange), now a holding company after demutualization in 2004, is a self-regulatory organization that governs its members' conduct and member companies in securities dealings. It is also responsible for marketplace surveillance. Bursa Malaysia, on behalf of the SC, supervises and enforces disclosure standards for listed companies.

The Malaysian Accounting Standards Board and the Financial Reporting Foundation, both created by the Financial Reporting Act of 1997, oversee accounting and corporate governance standards.

The Treasury Department at the Ministry of Finance supervises tax matters.

The Syariah Advisory Council (SAC) advises the SC on issues relating to market compliance with Syariah principles in the Islamic capital market.

Malaysia's Offshore Companies Act 1990 provides additional guidelines for bond issuance of offshore companies established and registered under the Act and operating in Labuan International Offshore Financial Centre.