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This study aims to examine the effect of pressure from social stakeholders on environmental accounting reporting (EAR) in small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Shan Xi Province, China. Using an online survey, this study sampled from 90 respondents in SMEs. The data was then analyzed using Partial Least Squares-Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) using SmartPLS 3.3.2. The empirical evidence shows that there is a positive and significant influence of the social stakeholders' pressure on EAR, especially, the pressure from media and community. The findings of this study suggest that community and media do improve the environmental accounting reporting in SMEs in Shan Xi Province, so that can improve SME's performances concerning the environment, inventory and controlling costs, efficient technologies with less pollution, non-polluting products.

State Islamic Religious Councils (SIRCs) was established with the purpose to manage Muslim affairs in Malaysia, especially for the underprivileged group through improving their social and economic welfare. Many criticisms were addressed by the public and media on how well the SIRCs function and manage their finance. The critics do not come empty without evidence of the real mismanagement cases reported by the public auditors and media. As scandals are prone to invite negative perceptions from the public, it also eclipses the organisations’ achievements by hyperbolically concentrating on the negative stories. As a result, most literature related to the SIRCs has majorly focused on discussing the issues rather than reporting both sides of the stories, the issues or challenges and the achievements of the SIRCs. Hence, throughout the years, the SIRCs have been striving in improving their performances through engaging with many fruitful initiatives, which subsequently enhance the SIRCs’ ability to productively serve the Muslim community. The outcomes from the improvements can be seen in many awards and recognitions received by the SIRCs. Highlighting the achievements of the SIRCs will not only increase the positive perceptions but motivate other SIRCs to follow the same footsteps. Thus, the objective of this paper is to discuss both sides of the stories, i.e. challenges and achievements of Perak SIRC. The paper starts with an introduction of the roles and functions of Perak SIRC, then highlights the challenges of Perak SIRC in carrying out its roles and continues with a discussion of the efforts undertaken to improve their operations and the achievements gained through the effort. The study utilises a case study method. The study found that Perak SIRC has a long history (since 1874) and has achieved many milestones and awards for their excellent performance.

This paper investigates the link between Ownership Structure and the quantity of CSR in annual reports. This study used content analysis and a dataset from Malaysian companies listed in Bursa Malaysia. The results based on the full regression model with three variables Managerial ownership, Government ownership, and Foreign ownership. The findings of this study indicated that two variables, Government ownership and Foreign ownership is associated with the extent of CSRD. The other predictive variable, Managerial ownership was found to be significant but not in the predicted direction. Thus, the hypothesis was not supported.

This paper investigates the link between Board and Audit Committee characteristics and the quantity of CSR in annual reports. This study used content analysis and a dataset from Bursa Malaysia public listed companies. Results based on the full regression model with four variables indicated that only one variable, Malay Dominated Board is associated with the extent of CSRD. The two other predictive variables, Audit Committee dominated by Malay directors and the ethnicity of the Audit Committee’s Chairperson were found to be significant but not in the predicted direction. While, the variable the Board is chaired by Malay, however, was found to be insignificant when regression analyses are performed.

In 2002, the World Health Organisation (WHO) designed a framework for active ageing society which was implemented by most of the countries in the world to date. Many studies cited that the labour force participation of older people is one of the key factors in promoting the concept of active ageing (Punyakaew et al., 2019; Halaweh et al., 2018). Due to an unexpected disastrous COVID-19 pandemic emerged, there is a need to revisit the possible effects of this pandemic on the labour force participation of the older population. As of 9 October 2020, WHO reported that there are more than 36 million infected people and 1,056,186 deaths in 216 countries worldwide and the numbers are still rising at a rapid rate. Older people were identified as one of the most vulnerable groups to COVID-19 virus. It is expected that the current situation is less favourable to older people in Malaysia not only to their participation in the labour market, but in many aspects as well. This paper aims to provide a narrative literature review on how COVID-19 pandemic might have changed the decision of older people in participating in the labour force in Malaysia.

Environmental issues have been a critical concern as a result of rapid development and urbanization. It has attracted much attention around the world. Both the corporate world and the environment are equally crucial as corporations are the backbone of a nation’s economic state while environment needs to be protected to ensure sustainability of beings. Accounting in general and management accounting in particular is no exception. Management Accounting has responded to the development through providing information that enable organisation to keep track on their performance towards the environment. Specifically, Environmental Management Accounting (EMA) has emerged as a practice that assists organisation to identify and analyse the financial (PEMA) and non-financial environmental (MEMA) related information. By having this information, organisation is able to balance both their performance without compromising on the element of environment. However, little is known about the progress of EMA practice among organisation and their motives of adoption. Thus, the objective of this paper is to explore the factors which influence the practice of EMA within the Malaysian context of manufacturing industry. Data was collected through a semi-structured interview from two (2) companies and three (3) local environmental authorities. The findings show that the practice of EMA is driven by customer demand to ensure that some form of environmental management is operationalised. In addition, compliance to the Malaysian environmental regulation is seen as important as corporates would rather manage corporate impact to the surrounding environment than being fined. The preliminary findings also suggest that while environmental management practice has not been made mandatory by their respective headquarters, it suggests that influence from their respective headquarters do present. Through the exploratory findings, this research has provided some insights to explain the slow progress of EMA

Addressing the complexity of financial decision-making process, this study assessed the effects of financial knowledge towards the financial behavioural intention to invest with both risk perception and attitude, in serial, as mediators among young Malaysians. This study operationalized financial knowledge as actual financial knowledge (objective knowledge) and self-rated financial knowledge (subjective knowledge). Using purposive sampling strategy, this study sampled 492 respondents who were of below the prime-savings years for the questionnaire survey. The resultant outcomes of this study revealed significant mediating effects of risk perception and attitude in the sequential positive relationship between financial knowledge and financial behavioural intention to invest. Apart from the significance of financial knowledge in the financial decision-making process, this study also unravelled the complexity of the relationship of knowledge and behaviour with the combination of risk perception and attitude.

The current research explored the current progress of strategic management accounting (SMA) information usage within electrical and electronics (E&E) companies operating in Malaysia. It was motivated by the scarcity of empirical attention given to the subject despite the claimed importance placed by SMA advocates. The current research sought to substantiate its propositions through two (2) research objectives. The first objective was to investigate the extent of SMA information usage amongst E&E companies and the second was to explore the outcomes of SMA information usage. Survey method was employed for the data collection purposes. Ninety-seven (97) usable questionnaires were received out of the 595 mailed questionnaires. The result suggested that E&E companies used SMA information to high extent. The result indicated that companies’ extent of SMA information usage found to be significantly related to certain aspects of companies’ performance. The current research has revealed some notable development with regards to SMA. The current result implies that, in Malaysia, SMA has made its progress quite extensively that failed to be reported empirically by fellow researchers. Nonetheless, more work needs to be carried out to set forth the important elements of SMA.

This study considers test how the firms’ competitive forces and budgetary control systems affect the multidimensional business units’ slack (financial and budgetary slack). We tested the model in the higher and lower order forms of slack. In this case, the effects of competitive forces and budgetary control systems to slack are tested at the business units slack and its dimensions, financial and budgetary slack. Our results suggest that lower order model is slightly better than the higher order models. Of the two models, we found the identical findings, in which the presence of slack (either the composite form of slack or the financial and budgetary slack) is not influenced by the extent of competitive forces. However, our results indicate that the relationship hinted an indirect relationship between competitive forces and slack through firms budgetary control systems.

This study considers test how the firms’ competitive forces and budgetary control systems affect the multidimensional business units’ slack (financial and budgetary slack). We tested the model in the higher and lower order forms of slack. In this case, the effects of competitive forces and budgetary control systems to slack are tested at the business units slack and its dimensions, financial and budgetary slack. Our results suggest that lower order model is slightly better than the higher order models. Of the two models, we found the identical findings, in which the presence of slack (either the composite form of slack or the financial and budgetary slack) is not influenced by the extent of competitive forces. However, our results indicate that the relationship hinted an indirect relationship between competitive forces and slack through firms budgetary control systems.

Background: Public sector reform is now initiated more aggressively under various terms of reference, such as transparency, better governance, and delivery efficiency and effectiveness. For Malaysia it is clearly motivated by both internal and external pressure to face the challenges and harnessing the global trend of change. Under current financial policy, both income and expenditure are clearly stated as the critical area of concern. Therefore Malaysian government is targeting accrual system to be fully implemented in its public sector by 2016. Objective: This paper examines the problems faced by the entity entrusted to be responsible to implement the accrual accounting in the public sector. Results: The findings showed that the shift towards accrual accounting demonstrates some problems in implementation such as recognition and valuation of assets and liabilities, human competency and, systems and technological development. These implementation barriers are among the reasons why developing countries should be cautious in considering accrual accounting reform. Conclusion: The adoption to accrual accounting will be a long challenge and it needs support from everyone to make it as a success with the hope for Malaysia to be one of the developed countries by 2020

The current paper presents the state-of-the-art of strategic management accounting (SMA) information usage among organisations. Despite SMA claimed importance to organisations operating in today’s competitive environment, little is known about its current achievement. In Malaysia in particular, the subject is almost absent. Thus, motivated by the scant attention given to SMA, the current paper attempts to present the current development of the subject. Specifically, inherited by the disparate concepts put forth by its various advocates, the current paper presents a review of its development and result of a pilot research carried out on manufacturing companies operating in Malaysia. It is interesting to note that despite the doubts cast by some advocates, organisations used strategic management accounting information to greater extent. The current finding enriches the limited knowledge on organisations’ extent of SMA usage which explicitly rejecting doubts about the subject’s rhetorical states, and reveal the potential of SMA to further progress. However, inherited by the exploratory nature of the current findings generalisation is to be cautioned. More robust future study is suggested.

Like any other reform, implementation of accrual accounting in the public sector will be challenging. To prepare for eventual adoption of accrual accounting, there must be change in management where the structured approach for organization change is supposed to take place. The shift towards accrual accounting demonstrates some difficulties and challenges. This paper examines the issues and challenges faced by the New Zealand, Australia and United Kingdom in implementing accrual accounting in the public sector. In doing so, a revision of previous literatures in regard of implementation of accrual accounting in the respective countries were conducted in advocate the research issues. The findings showed that the shift towards accrual accounting demonstrates some difficulties in implementation such as recognition and valuation of assets and liabilities, human competency and, high implementation costs. These implementation barriers are one of many reasons why developing countries should be careful in considering accrual accounting reforms. Being the pioneer countries in the implementation of accrual accounting in public sector, the experiences of New Zealand, Australia and United Kingdom may assist countries especially Malaysia in moving towards accrual accounting reform.

Motivated by the paucity of published empirical evidence on SMA this paper reports the results of an exploratory study carried out on Electrical and Electronics (E&E) companies operating in Malaysia. Specifically, it explores the extent of strategic management accounting (SMA) information elements usage among Malaysia’s E&E companies. The results indicate that E&E companies use SMA information elements extensively. The results imply that companies are extending their management accounting information towards more externally focused and strategic material. This finding enriches our current knowledge about the extent of SMA information usage among organisations. It also supports the findings of several previous researches which suggested that companies operating in today’s environment emphasise beyond traditional management accounting information.

In the early 1980s, strategic management accounting has emerged in the accounting literature claimed as one of the development in contemporary management accounting system. It has been portrayed as management accounting information pertinent to organisation’s success in its competitive pursuit. Nonetheless, it has received limited empirical attention among researchers. Apparent gaps seem to be attributed to its various conceptualisations resulted from disjointed efforts on the development and too broad a concept entails by the subject. Moreover, inherited by the scarcity of empirical studies, evidences had been exploratory and little is known about organisation’s motivation to use SMA information element. The association between the use of element of strategic management accounting and its consequences on performance is notably sparse. Thus, based on in-depth review on existing literature on strategic management accounting, this paper develops a proposed theoretical framework for an empirical research agenda. Specifically, the objectives of this paper are three folds. Firstly, it attempts to unravel the various perspectives and define strategic management accounting and suggests on how it could be further developed. Secondly, employing contingency theory as its underpinning theory this paper posits competitive strategy as the determinant of the use of strategic management accounting information. Finally, its possible performance consequences are put forth to legitimise the development as an important remedial to traditional management accounting system in aiding organisation’s long-term survival.

Undoubtedly, economic analyses are important to understand a tax system, however in a democratic system, the taxpayer’s perception, evaluation and compliance with the tax laws are of equal importance. This study attempt to explore the taxpayers’ acceptability towards self assessment system and also to investigate an overall view of taxpayers’ perception on the present tax system. A survey was undertaken in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, involved 195 individual salaried taxpayers. Result of the study revealed that the Malaysian taxpayers are satisfied with the present tax system. They see it as a simple and easy system. However the study also revealed that the taxpayers welcome the changing of the present system to the self assessment system. They perceived that they are ready for it. Despite of the taxpayers readiness toward self assessment system, most of the ta xpayers did not know their responsibility under the new system, moreover they also unable to compute their own tax. However most of them are interested in learning more about the Malaysian Income Tax System if they have the opportunity to do so. The taxpayers surveyed had a poor understanding of the tax laws. So that, recommendations were made to MIRB in order to increase the taxpayers knowledge and understanding of their obligation and rights as a taxpayer. The effective ways of communications and promotion of self assessment system were also suggested.