MBDK Licence for a Factory or Warehouse in Klang: Industrial Licence, MyLesen Steps and Late Renewal Fees

Key Takeaways

• Every factory or warehouse operating in the Klang council area needs a licence from the Licensing Department (Jabatan Pelesenan) of Majlis Bandaraya Diraja Klang (MBDK), the council formerly called Majlis Perbandaran Klang (MPK). The licence is issued to the business that runs the premises, not to the building.
• Factories and warehouses fall under MBDK's industrial licence stream. MBDK's customer charter sets 14 days to decide a temporary industrial licence (Lesen Sementara Industri) and 30 days for a risk-category industrial licence (Lesen Industri Berisiko).
• After the temporary licence, you complete the conditions by collecting supporting letters from up to ten agencies, including Bomba (Klang zone), DOSH, DOE, the district land office and MBDK's building and town planning departments. MBDK processes a complete file within 30 days.
• Renewal is yearly through MyLesen (mylesen.mbdk.gov.my). For the 2026 licence year, renewing after 31 December cost an industrial licence an extra RM100 (January to March), RM300 (April to June) and RM600 after June, as the mayor announced.
• Before you buy or rent, check that the building can be licensed for your activity: industrial status, a CCC, no drain covered by an extension, and space inside the unit for all work and storage.

What licence does a factory or warehouse need from MBDK?

MBDK's Licensing Department handles every trade, business and industrial licence in its area. Its own page lists the industrial categories it processes:

The decision times come from MBDK's customer charter. They count from a complete application, so a missing agency letter stops the clock.

MBDK's published compliance conditions for the industrial licence are written for three activities: kilang (factory), gudang (warehouse) and barangan lusuh (used goods). So a pure storage warehouse is licensed in the same industrial stream as a factory. An office in a shophouse, by contrast, goes through the business licence (Lesen Perniagaan dan Iklan).

Is my factory under MBDK at all?

Only premises inside the Klang council area are licensed by MBDK. Neighbouring industrial areas sit under other councils: much of Shah Alam is under MBSA, and Kuala Langat areas such as Telok Panglima Garang go to MPKL. The quickest check is the assessment tax (cukai taksiran) bill for the unit, which names the council. Bukit Raja is a common trap, because part of it is Klang and part is Shah Alam; this Bukit Raja council guide explains how to tell.

How do you apply for an industrial licence from MBDK?

The industrial route has two stages: a temporary licence first, then the full licence once every condition is met.

Stage 1: register and apply

1. Create a MyLesen account. On mylesen.mbdk.gov.my, click "Pengguna Baru", fill in your details and verify the email. MBDK's new application guide walks through each screen.
2. Clear arrears first. The system automatically checks the applicant's IC for unpaid assessment tax, compounds and other dues. If anything is outstanding, you must pay it before the form lets you continue. For a tenant, ask the landlord to clear the unit's assessment tax before you apply.
3. Fill in applicant, company, premises, employee and signboard details, then upload the supporting documents (each file up to 20MB, in jpg, png or pdf). In MBDK's sample business and advertisement form these are: an official land search (if relevant), letters from other agencies (if any), a letter of authorisation, colour photos of the premises from the outside, inside, back, both sides, above and below, the Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka language certificate and stamped signboard design, a passport-size photo and a copy of the applicant's IC or passport.
4. Submit and print the acknowledgement slip. China Press reported in August 2025 that the council said temporary licences and industrial licences could not be applied for online, so call the Licensing Department on 03-3375 5555 to confirm whether your industrial application goes through MyLesen or the counter at Bangunan Sultan Alam Shah, Jalan Perbandaran, Klang.

Stage 2: temporary licence, undertaking and deposit

When MBDK approves the temporary industrial licence, you sign an undertaking (akujanji) to obey every condition, guideline and law for the temporary period, witnessed by an MBDK officer. A deposit (wang cagaran) is paid for temporary licences; MBDK's refund checklist asks for the original deposit receipt, your SSM details, IC and a bank statement certified by the bank, and it will not accept a statutory declaration if the original receipt is lost. Keep that receipt safe.

Stage 3: complete the conditions (lengkap syarat)

MBDK's checklist for completing the conditions of a temporary industrial licence lists the agencies whose supporting documents may be required, depending on your approval letter:

1. Fire and Rescue Department (Bomba), Klang zone
2. Department of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH), Selangor
3. Department of Environment (DOE), Selangor
4. MBDK's Environmental Services Department
5. Royal Malaysia Police
6. Royal Malaysian Customs
7. Land Public Transport Agency (APAD)
8. Klang District Land Office
9. MBDK's Building Department
10. MBDK's Town and Country Planning Department

Every copy must carry the company stamp. Once the file is complete, the form states it will be processed within 30 days; an incomplete file is returned. You then submit a signed declaration that the licensing conditions are fulfilled. If you need more time, MBDK has a separate form to extend the temporary industrial licence.

What conditions does MBDK attach to an industrial licence?

These come straight from MBDK's industrial licence conditions and are the ones that most often decide whether a particular unit works for you:

• Licensed activity only. You may not run any industrial activity other than the one licensed, and manufacturing or processing may only be done in premises with industrial or factory status.
• Everything happens inside. Industrial activity must stay within the premises. No goods or obstructions on the five-foot way, road, car park or public areas, and no tents outside, without council permission.
• No living quarters in the industrial premises.
• Building changes need approval. Any addition or alteration, inside or outside, needs MBDK Building Department review or approval. Extensions beyond the original building or over a drain are not allowed without permission, and covering a drain entirely is not allowed at all. A loading ramp is allowed with approval, which can include renting special parking bays.
• Services. Piped public water, adequate lighting and ventilation, sewer connection for all wash water and liquid waste, and clean toilets.
• Fire and safety. Fire equipment and extinguishers to Bomba's specification, a first aid kit, flammable materials in approved self-closing containers, and no overcrowding.
• Pollution and waste. No dust, fumes, heat, gas, odour, vibration or soot that becomes a nuisance, and industrial waste removed by a contractor approved by MBDK's Environmental Services Department.
• Workers. No foreign workers without valid passes, and the licence may not be sublet to a foreigner.
• Used goods traders also need a police permit.
• Signboards (pylons, sky signs, facade signs) need council approval, Bahasa Malaysia must be used, and Malay words must be 30 percent larger than any other language, with the wording verified by Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka.
• Display and transfer. The licence must be displayed where it can be seen and cannot be transferred without MBDK's written consent.

Breaches can be enforced under the Local Government Act 1976, the Town and Country Planning Act 1976, the Street, Drainage and Building Act 1974 and MBDK's by-laws on trade, business and industrial licensing and on advertisements.

How do you renew an MBDK licence on MyLesen?

MBDK's renewal guide sets out the steps:

1. Log in to MyLesen with your IC number and update your email under Profile.
2. Click "Daftar Pembaharuan Lesen", choose the licence account number and click "Permohonan Pembaharuan Lesen".
3. Update personal and premises details, check the arrears section, and upload the renewal documents.
4. Submit, then go to "Senarai Pembaharuan", check the status and pay by FPX.
5. Print the licence.

Renewal dates and late fees

For the 2026 licence year, China Press reported that MBDK began accepting renewals on 1 October 2025 and that renewing after 31 December carried these late fees:

Sin Chew reported in December 2025 that only 8,871 of about 20,000 licences in MBDK's area had been renewed by 15 December, including 1,973 industrial licences. Check MBDK's notice for the next cycle's dates, as they are announced each year.

Locked out because a runner set up the account?

Sin Chew also reported that many owners could not renew because a runner or third party had opened the MyLesen account for them, so the owner had no password. The fix is to go to the MBDK counter in person to reset the password, then log in and renew yourself. Ask your runner for the login now, before the renewal season starts.

What should a buyer or tenant check before taking a unit in Klang?

A licence is decided on the building as much as on the business, so check these before you sign:

• Industrial status and CCC. Manufacturing is only allowed in premises with industrial or factory status. A unit without a Certificate of Completion and Compliance is hard to license; see what a CCC is and how to check it.
• Unapproved extensions. Covered drains, roofed car porches turned into work areas and extensions beyond the original building are exactly what MBDK's conditions forbid. Ask whether each extension has approval.
• Assessment tax arrears. MyLesen blocks applications while dues are outstanding, so get the landlord or seller to clear them first.
• Your activity versus the zoning. Heavier or polluting work may need DOE and planning letters that a light industrial unit will never get.
• The previous tenant's licence. It belongs to the old operator and cannot be passed to you without MBDK's written consent; plan for a fresh application.
• Lease terms. Ask for a rent-free fit-out period long enough to cover the 14-day temporary licence and the agency letters, and work out the tenancy stamp duty at the same time.

If the unit was built without approval, Selangor's unauthorised factory (KTK) programme has its own licence route, which MBDK lists as a separate 30-day category.

How is a factory licence in Klang different from a shop licence?

A shop or office licence is a business licence, and MBDK's charter gives the lowest-risk business licences a one-day decision. A factory or warehouse is an industrial licence: a temporary licence first, an undertaking and deposit, letters from agencies such as Bomba, DOSH and DOE, and conditions on drains, waste, workers and building changes. Planning ahead matters more for factories, because faster approvals are coming under Speed Selangor 2.0 from 2027, but only for applicants whose land title, zoning and documents are already in order.

If you are still choosing a unit, start with small factories and warehouses for rent in Klang, and ask the agent which units already hold an industrial licence for a similar activity.

This guide explains MBDK's published procedures and is not legal advice; confirm the requirements for your activity with MBDK's Licensing Department (pelesenan@mbdk.gov.my, 03-3375 5555) before you commit.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is MBDK in Malaysia?

MBDK is Majlis Bandaraya Diraja Klang, the Royal Klang City Council, which was previously Majlis Perbandaran Klang (MPK). It is the local authority for the Klang area and issues business, industrial and advertisement licences there through its Licensing Department. Many MBDK forms still carry the former MPK name.

Is a business licence compulsory for a factory or warehouse in Klang?

Yes. MBDK's Licensing Department states that every business activity in its area must hold a licence issued by the licensing authority, and its enforcement unit inspects premises and issues notices and compounds. A factory or warehouse needs an industrial licence, and any signboard needs its own approval.

How long does it take to get an industrial licence from MBDK?

MBDK's customer charter sets 14 days for a temporary industrial licence and 30 days for a risk-category industrial licence. After the temporary licence, the conditions file with agency letters is processed within 30 days once it is complete. The real timeline depends on how fast Bomba, DOSH, DOE and the other agencies issue their letters.

How do I renew my MBDK (formerly MPK) business license in 2026?

Log in to mylesen.mbdk.gov.my with your IC number, click "Daftar Pembaharuan Lesen", update your details, upload the documents, submit and pay by FPX, then print the licence. If you cannot log in because a runner opened the account, go to the MBDK counter to reset the password.

What is the penalty for renewing an MBDK licence late?

For the 2026 licence year, MBDK announced late fees for renewals after 31 December: RM100 for an industrial licence renewed from January to March, RM300 from April to June and RM600 after June. Business licences were RM50, RM150 and RM300. The fee rises each quarter, so renew before year end.

Can a tenant use the landlord's or previous tenant's licence?

No. The industrial licence is issued to the operator for the licensed activity and cannot be transferred without MBDK's written consent. A new tenant applies for its own licence, although the landlord's CCC and building approvals still matter for whether it is granted.

Does a warehouse need an industrial licence or a business licence?

MBDK's industrial licence conditions are written for factories, warehouses and used goods premises, so a warehouse is licensed in the industrial stream. Confirm the exact category for your activity with the Licensing Department when you apply.

FactoryHub is dedicated to helping every client find the right factory or warehouse. If you want a Klang unit that can be licensed for your activity, contact Peter Tan (REN 12771, 016-666 6872) or Jason Low (PEA 1478, 012-288 1834).