News and Articles

How to Choose the Right AML/CFT Solution: Essential Factors Professional Firms Cannot Ignore

In today’s rapidly evolving money laundering landscape and Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) regulatory requirements, traditional manual processes are inadequate for effective risk management. With the increasing emphasis on the use of technology by the FATF,...

Lessons for the Legal Sector from Singapore’s S$3 Billion Money Laundering Case Involving Property Purchases

A recent Singapore case involving a conveyancing lawyer charged with forgery over a property purchase is a sharp reminder that Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) risk does not stop at banks and financial institutions. For the...

From Administrative Gatekeepers to Governance Leaders: Elevating AML/CFT/CPF Compliance for Malaysia’s Company Secretaries

Executive Summary The Mutual Evaluation Report (MER) of Malaysia 2025, published by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) in December 2025, assesses the effectiveness of the country’s anti-money laundering, countering the financing of terrorism, and countering the financing of proliferation...

Ultimate Beneficial Ownership (UBO) Verification Failures: Lessons from Recent Hong Kong Enforcement Cases

What Is UBO Transparency and Why Does It Matter? An Ultimate Beneficial Owner (UBO) is the natural person who ultimately owns or controls a corporate entity, whether through direct shareholding, indirect control, or nominee arrangements. Under Hong Kong’s Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorist...

Singapore’s 2026 FATF Mutual Evaluation Report: Key AML/CFT/CPF Insights and Implications for Professional Firms

In May 2026, the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) and the Asia/Pacific Group on Money Laundering (APG) released the Mutual Evaluation Report (MER) of Singapore. This assessment evaluates the effectiveness of the country’s anti-money laundering, counter-terrorist financing, and counter-proliferation financing...

Data and Compliance Report (DCR) 2026 Information & Submission in Malaysia

Data and Compliance Report (DCR) is an annual submission to Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) by reporting institutions (RI) to report and self-assess their compliance with AMLA, Anti-Money Laundering (AML), Countering Financing of Terrorism (CFT), Countering Proliferation Financing (CPF), and Targeted...