The Reference Library.
Ad cost benchmarks, KKM/MDC/PDPA compliance references, Malaysian business regulation guides and industry cost sheets — the same reference material we use running client work, published openly with sources.
The shakalakaa reference library publishes Malaysian ad cost benchmarks, KKM, MDC and PDPA compliance references, business regulation guides and industry cost sheets, with sources. Benchmarks come from managed-account data with a stated 20-observation publishing threshold, and the same material is used running work for Malaysian clinic groups, developers and brands.
For the interactive versions of these references, see the free tools hub.
Ad Cost Benchmarks & Pricing
MY, SG & AU Ad Benchmarks
Quarterly CPL, CPC and cost-per-consultation ranges by industry — Malaysia and Singapore from managed accounts, Australia curated from published sources.
Read the reference
Ad Benchmarks Methodology
How the Digital Ad Cost Index and Live Host Rate Index are built — sample sources, deduplication, the 20-observation publishing threshold.
Read the reference
Ad Cost Ticker
Ticker-style current CPL/CPC/CPM figures for Malaysia and Singapore, at a glance, updated quarterly.
Read the reference
Live Host Rate Index (MY)
Real monthly and hourly bands from public job listings — what a TikTok Shop or Shopee Live host actually costs, dated.
Read the reference
Google Ads Cost Singapore
Real SGD CPC and cost-per-lead ranges from our managed accounts, plus an honest note on where the data is thin.
Read the reference
Compliance & Advertising Rules
Clinic Advertising Compliance Hub
KKM, MDC, PHFSA, MOH and platform-specific rules for clinic advertising in Malaysia and Singapore, indexed by regulator and platform.
Read the reference
Cosmetic Clinic Ad Compliance (MY)
Governing rules — KKM Aesthetic framework and MMC ethics — the nine most common violations, and how to self-check.
Read the reference
Healthcare Ad Guidelines (MY)
Plain-English summary of PHFSA 1998 and the Medicine Advertisements Board rules for healthcare ads in Malaysia.
Read the reference
How to Check KKM/MDC Ad Compliance
A step-by-step way to check whether clinic ad copy is KKM/MDC compliant in Malaysia, plus a free self-check tool.
Read the reference
Before/After Photos in Ads — MY
Can you use before/after photos in clinic ads in Malaysia? No — restricted under KKM/MOH guidance. What to use instead.
Read the reference
Before/After Photos in Ads — SG
Prohibited under Regulation 5 of the Healthcare Services (Advertisement) Regulations 2021 — what to use instead.
Read the reference
Advertise a Dental Clinic Legally (MY)
What MDC guidance and the Medicines Act 1956 actually restrict for dental clinic advertising, and what to do instead.
Read the reference
Breach KKM Advertising Rules?
The real, structural consequences of non-compliant clinic advertising in Malaysia — platform takedowns, statutory risk.
Read the reference
Regulation Tracker
Dated tracker of advertising-regulation changes across KKM/MOH, MDC, AHPRA/TGA, PDPA/PDPC and platform ad policy — RSS + JSON.
Read the reference
Business Guides Malaysia
Official-source guides for Malaysian business owners, finance and HR teams: tax, e-invoicing, data protection, wages, grants and licence checks. Each page links its government source and shows when it was last checked.
E-Invoice Malaysia (MyInvois)
LHDN MyInvois phases and dates, the RM3 million exemption from 1 September 2026, relaxation periods and portal vs API.
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PDPA Malaysia
What businesses must do under PDPA: the seven principles, the 2025 amendment dates, DPO and 72-hour breach rules, and WhatsApp/SMS consent.
Read the reference
SST on Digital Marketing (MY)
Is digital marketing subject to SST? Group I First Schedule: 8% rate, RM500,000 threshold, B2B exemption conditions.
Read the reference
Minimum Wage Malaysia 2026
RM1,700 a month (RM8.72 an hour) under the Minimum Wages Order 2024: daily rates, history since 2013 and who is covered.
Read the reference
Public Holiday Malaysia 2027
Federal and state list from JPM Bahagian Kabinet, with gap notes on ungazetted lunar and shifting dates.
Read the reference
KPKT Licensed Moneylender List
How to check the KPKT licensed money lender list using i-KrediKom and kpkt.gov.my, red flags of unlicensed lenders and Google FSV rules.
Read the reference
Registered Real Estate Agents (MY)
How to check the LPPEH register — REA vs REN vs PEA, public search steps, red flags of unregistered agents.
Read the reference
CIDB Contractor Check (MY)
How to use Semak CIDB — grades G1-G7, specialisation heads and PPK/SPK registration before commissioning renovation or construction work.
Read the reference
SST Malaysia (Rates & Registration)
Sales tax vs service tax, current rates, scope, registration thresholds and filing basics, from the Royal Malaysian Customs Department.
Read the reference
Digital Marketing Grants (MY)
Which Malaysian grants can fund marketing today, checked on each agency's page: MATRADE MDG eligibility, amounts and how to apply.
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MATRADE MDG for Export Marketing
What the Market Development Grant reimburses for exporters, activity by activity, and where digital marketing fits.
Read the reference
Panduan SST Malaysia (BM)
Cukai jualan dan cukai perkhidmatan: kadar semasa, skop, nilai ambang pendaftaran dan penyata, dalam Bahasa Melayu.
Baca panduan
e-Invois Malaysia (BM)
Fasa, tarikh dan cara mematuhi e-Invois LHDN melalui MyInvois, dalam Bahasa Melayu.
Baca panduan
Gaji Minimum 2026 (BM)
Kadar gaji minimum RM1,700, pecahan harian dan sejam, sejarah kadar dan liputan, dalam Bahasa Melayu.
Baca panduan
Akta Perlindungan Data Peribadi (BM)
PDPA dalam Bahasa Melayu: tujuh prinsip, tarikh pindaan 2025, DPO, notifikasi pelanggaran dan pemasaran WhatsApp.
Baca panduan
Industry Cost Guides & Directories
Aesthetic Clinics Malaysia (Overview)
Overview of Malaysia's aesthetic clinic landscape — LPFK licensing, common treatments and how to evaluate a clinic.
Read the reference
Aesthetic Clinics Singapore (Overview)
Overview of Singapore's aesthetic clinic landscape — MOH-approved procedures and the LOA framework.
Read the reference
Dental Malaysia (Overview)
Overview of dental care in Malaysia — public vs private, MDC-regulated advertising and how to evaluate a clinic.
Read the reference
Dental Singapore (Overview)
Overview of dental care in Singapore — cost bands, subsidies and how to evaluate a clinic.
Read the reference
Interior Design Malaysia (Overview)
Overview of interior design in Malaysia — MIID scale, quote comparison, and firms to evaluate.
Read the reference
Interior Design Singapore (Overview)
Overview of interior design in Singapore — HDB vs condo, fee ranges and firms to evaluate.
Read the reference
Malaysia Tourism Statistics
Arrivals, receipts, source markets and hotel supply from official sources, written for tourism operators.
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Agency Selection Guides
How to Choose a Marketing Agency (MY)
What to check before hiring a Malaysian marketing agency — fee structure, contract terms, evidence of results.
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Agency vs In-House Team (MY)
Jobstreet salary ranges, the costs a salary leaves out, and when an agency, a hire or a hybrid makes sense.
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Choosing a Clinic Marketing Agency (MY)
KKM/MDC compliance evidence and real CPL benchmarks before hiring an aesthetic or dental clinic marketing agency.
Read the reference
How to Choose a Marketing Agency (SG)
What to check before hiring a Singapore marketing agency — fee structure, contract terms, and PDPA/DNC handling.
Read the reference
How to Choose a Marketing Agency (AU)
What to actually check before signing with an Australian agency — proof, fee structure, ACCC-aware creative, red flags.
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Choosing a Performance Marketing Agency (MY)
A published evaluation framework — 5 criteria, named agencies scored openly, our own gaps disclosed too.
Read the reference
Marketing Comparisons (MY)
24 head-to-head marketing decisions for Malaysian businesses — channel vs channel, in-house vs agency, build vs buy.
Read the reference
Performance Marketing in Malaysia
How channels, budget, landing pages and tracking are planned as one system, accountable to cost per lead.
See the service
AI Search / GEO & XHS
GEO & AI Search Glossary
Plain-English definitions of GEO, AEO, LLM SEO, ChatGPT SEO, AI Search Optimization, llms.txt, AI crawlers — DefinedTerm entries.
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AI Overview Watch Malaysia
Dated, methodology-first record of AI Overview presence in Malaysian commercial search — honest about what we can't observe yet.
Read the reference
AI Overview Watch Singapore
Dated, methodology-first record of AI Overview presence in Singapore commercial search.
Read the reference
Xiaohongshu (RedNote) Hub
Everything a MY/SG business needs on Xiaohongshu — how the platform works, verification, ad formats and content rules.
Read the reference
XHS Business Account & Blue Tick
XHS business account setup for Malaysian and Singapore companies — 企业号 types, blue tick verification, Aurora ad access.
Read the reference
Live Commerce Glossary
Plain-English definitions of live commerce, Shopee Live, TikTok Shop LIVE, Lazada Live, session GMV, watch-to-buy rate.
Read the reference
Malaysia Mega Sale Calendar 2026–2027
Every confirmed 9.9–12.12, CNY and Raya date for Malaysian sellers, plus Shopee and TikTok Shop seller-side playbooks.
Read the reference
State of Digital Marketing Malaysia
Ad cost trends, channel shifts and the GEO/AI-search shift — dated observations, not predictions.
Read the reference
Platform How-To Guides
Meta Ads Guide Malaysia
How to run Meta (Facebook and Instagram) ads: business portfolio, objectives, budgets, Pixel, Conversions API and ad review.
Read the guide
TikTok Shop Malaysia Guide
Who can register, the documents needed, and commission and transaction fees.
Read the guide
TikTok Shop Affiliate Malaysia
Creator rules, ID checks, Link-Share vs Affiliate, and how sellers set commission.
Read the guide
Shopee Ads Guide Malaysia
Ad types, prepaid ads credit, minimum bids, GMV Max bidding and budget tips.
Read the guide
Lazada Ads Guide Malaysia
Sponsored Max, Sponsored Discovery, Sponsored Affiliates and display ads, and how each is billed.
Read the guide
Best Time to Post on TikTok in Malaysia
How to find your own posting times in TikTok Studio, with a 4-week test plan.
Read the guide
Best Time to Post on Instagram in Malaysia
How to see when your followers are active in Instagram Insights and test posting times.
Read the guide
Tools
Engagement Rate Calculator
Engagement rate for Instagram, TikTok and XHS, with a benchmark for your follower tier.
Use the tool
WhatsApp Link Generator
A wa.me link and QR code for your +60 number and message, built in your browser.
Use the tool
SST Calculator (Digital Ads)
SST on service spend at the 8% rate, with a preset for Meta, Google and TikTok ads.
Use the tool
Google Ads Cost Calculator
Expected spend, clicks and cost per lead from your industry and a lead goal or budget.
Use the tool
ROAS Calculator
Break-even ROAS and profit per order from your real margin and shipping costs.
Use the tool
UTM Link Builder
Consistent tracked campaign URLs, with presets for Meta, Google, TikTok, XHS and WhatsApp.
Use the tool
How this library is maintained
Everything published here has a named primary source and a verification date. Benchmarks come from managed-account data with a stated 20-observation publishing threshold — see the methodology page for exactly how bands are formed and what verify_gate means.
Shakalakaa resources index, in depth
The supporting detail behind each section of this page, by topic. 2 topics
This library
Every entry below is a permanent, dated reference — benchmark ranges from managed accounts (Malaysia and Singapore) or curated from published sources (Australia), advertising-compliance guides tied to specific statutes and regulator guidance (KKM, MDC, MOH, PDPA, AHPRA/TGA),
and Malaysia-specific business regulation like e-invoice deadlines, SST on digital marketing, PDPA 2024 amendments, minimum wage and public holidays.
- Developer finance terms are in our guide to gross development value; the two rating schemes are explained under green building certification in Malaysia.
- Growth teams can start with choosing a CRM system in Malaysia or with how to run an affiliate program in Malaysia from the brand side.
- Paid media starts with what PPC means; every other acronym is defined in the marketing metrics glossary.
How this library is maintained
Compliance references cite the specific statute or regulator clause, not our inference.
Regulation changes are tracked and dated on the Regulation Tracker.
If a reference here surfaces a gap you'd rather have handled for you, our services and industry programmes pick up from where these guides stop.