Not necessary, can be more than once.
If Maybank, chances are you have a nominee account, dividend will go to Maybank first, then they might deduct some fee and return the rest back to you, unless you buy using your direct account, then cheque go to you directly, you can check with your remiser or representative.
Simple way is using the trading portal, add some column will do (only can check yield). More detail one will be checking on financial statement, that one might be complicated and I don't want to explain here

The remiser told me that a direct account, anything I will have to deal with the company of the shares I own directly. So if they have extra shares they want to offer me to buy at certain price, they will send me letter directly, rather than remiser monitor them for me.

Is he correct, or is he trying to get some more comissions in it??

Depends, some remiser are really helpful and they will help you a lot in those issue (like subscribe right issue etc), so just 'boh chap', need to push for them to move. But their helping hand come with small fee (your dividend will most like to be 'taxed' by them before coming to you).
It is up to personal preference anyway.