As days advance, Malaysia’s corporate governance remains progressive

An EquitiesFirst and Nasdaq report by Mak Yuen Teen, who has monitored Malaysian developments over the past 2 decades, noted that the Malaysia Development Bhd scandal and political upheavals had reversed a recent upward movement, resulting in a joint fifth position in the latest ranking. According to the report, Malaysia has been strategic and progressive in making reforms to its corporate governance rules,informed by regular regulatory reviews designed to address problems that ail the market. Malaysia has developed strong-regulatory and market institutions and ratcheting-up enforcement for capital market breaches for quite some years. “While there is no doubt that (current) political and public governance issues will hurt investor confidence, there are many companies and directors in Malaysia who take good corporate governance seriously,” Mak added. The capital market regulators are ready to introduce necessary reforms to enhance investor protection.