Corporate Governance And Accounting Quality In Malaysia

Malaysia faces increased competition from countries in the region and from emerging economies such as India and China in attracting investors. It is not just the natural resources, quality of labour force and political stability that attract investors to its shores. Equally important is the accounting quality, its reliability, transparency and corporate governance. Therefore, the main objective of this research is to examine the changes in accounting quality before and after the implementation of Financial Reporting Standards (FRS) on January 1, 2006. This research also examines the relationship between various governance mechanisms of board structure, audit committees and accounting quality in Malaysia. This study will be conducted by using the entire main board public-listed companies (PLCs) as population for the year of 2003 to 2008 in order to obtain the sufficient samples for analysis. The final sample for this study comprised 397 non-financial companies with complete data for accounting quality and corporate governance variable. The overall results in this study find that accounting quality has reduced in terms of higher earnings management and lesser timely loss recognition during the post IFRS and post MCCG period. Furthermore, the results also suggest that corporate governance attributes of governance expertise in board committee, directors’ ownership, role duality or chairman independence, audit committee financial expertise, audit committee independence are associated at significant levels with accounting quality during the post IFRS and post MCCG period. Its results are useable by stock market participants in their evaluation of the roles of corporate governance and ownership structure in enhancing the quality of reported earnings. The findings will also help regulators to define effective corporate governance attributes and to assess the requirements for disclosure of corporate governance practices in future

Perceived Risk Factors Affect Intention To Use FinTech

Objective: Studies show there is a high acceptance of FinTech development in Malaysia. However, the perceived risk factors that hinder a user's intention to use FinTech remains vague. Research on perceived risk is limited, especially the use of FinTech in the context of Malaysia. Therefore, this study aims to narrow the gap in perceived risk factors of FinTech. Methodology: A total of 302 participants participated in the study. Collected data and hypotheses were tested using the method of structural equation modelling. Results: It is found that three of the four dimensions of financial risk, legal risk and operational risk have a significant negative impact on the intention to use FinTech. The findings found that security risks do not have a significant negative effect on the intention to use FinTech. This result is consistent with the finding that Malaysian consumers' perception of e-payment is not significantly related to perceived security. Implication: The results help practitioners better conceptualise and reduce risk barriers in preparing for the disruption of FinTech. Practitioners are also advised to pay attention to FinTech's operational skills and system functional performance in FinTech services

Effects of Bee Bread Supplementation on Isokinetic Knee Extension and Flexion of Lower Limb

A nutritional strategy is the common types of ergogenic aid used by athlete to enhance their sport performance. Athlete usually consumes bee products before a sports competition to make sure they have adequate nutrition, maximize their energy storage and enhance their sport performance. Scientific data on the ergogenic effects of bee products consumed at pre exercise on isokinetic knee extension and flexion of lower limb is scanty. This study investigated the effects of 8 weeks of bee bread supplementation at pre exercise on isokinetic knee extension and flexion of lower limb among athletes. Twelve volunteer athletes were recruited in this scientific study. Subjects consumed either bee bread at a dosage of 20 g.d-1 or placebo for 8 weeks prior to the experimental trial. Subjects’ isokinetic knee extension and flexion of lower limb were measured before and after 8 weeks of experimental period. Statistical analyses were performed using ANOVA with repeated measures. This present study found that bee bread supplementation showed some positives impact on few measured parameters of isokinetic knee extension and flexion of lower limb

Effects of Bee Bread Supplementation on Total Antioxidant Status and F2-Isoprostane Among Athletes

Antioxidant is a substance that helps to reduce the severity of oxidative stress. Many chronic diseases have been reported related the increasing of free radical and oxidative stress in the human. There is still scanty information on antioxidant property of bee bread at pre and post exercise after short term supplementation. This present study investigated effects of eight weeks supplementation of bee bread on antioxidant status at pre and post exercise among athletes. Twelve male athletes were recruited in this randomised crossover study. For the exercise trial test, subjects were required to run at 60% of their respective VO2max on a motorised treadmill for 90 minutes and immediately followed by a time trial performance. Blood samples were collected at pre and post exercise to determine total antioxidant status (TAS) and F2-Isoprostane. Statistical analyses were performed using descriptive statistic and ANOVA with repeated measures. TAS was significantly higher, whereas F2-Isoprostane was significantly lower in the bee bread trial in comparison with placebo trial after eight weeks of supplementation. This present study found that bee bread supplementation showed positives impact on antioxidant status among athletes

Effects of bee bread supplementation on endurance running performance and total antioxidant status in recreational athletes

This study was carried out to investigate the effects of bee bread supplementation on running performance and antioxidant status in athletes. Twelve male recreational athletes were recruited in this randomized double blind; placebo-controlled crossover study. The participants were supplemented with 20 g of bee bread (BB) or placebo (P) daily for 8 weeks. After the first experimental trial, there was a wash-out period of 4 weeks. Then, the participants were supplemented with the other supplement for another 8 weeks before the second experimental trial was conducted. During the experimental trials, participants ran at 60% of VO2max for 90 min and followed immediately by a 20-min time trial. Heart rate, oxygen uptake, tympanic temperature, rate of perceived exertion (RPE), room temperature and relative humidity were recorded during the trials. Blood samples were collected to determine plasma glucose, free fatty acid and total antioxidant status. Distance ran in the BB trial was significantly further compared to the P trial (3.41 ± 0.2 km vs 3.28 ± 0.2 km). Heart rate, oxygen uptake, tympanic temperature, RPE and plasma glucose were not significantly different between trials but plasma free fatty acid in the BB trial was significantly higher than the P trial. Total antioxidant status was also significantly higher at post-supplementation, immediate post-exercise and 24 h post-exercise in the BB trial. Supplementation of bee bread seemed to enhance running performance and increased the total antioxidant status in recreational athletes. Industrial relevance.A few studies have reported ergogenic effects of honey on sports performance but no studies have investigated the ergognic effects of bee bread on sports performance. Furthermore, some researchers have reported the antioxidant properties of bee bread but apparently, there is no scientific data on the potential effectiveness of its antioxidant properties on sports performance. Thus, a study is warranted to investigate the potential ergogenic effects of bee bread on sports performance

The Impact of International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) on Accounting Quality in Malaysia

There are two objectives of this study, first,it is to examine and compare the accounting quality in pre-and post-implementations IFRS from the viewpoint of investors. Second ,is to identify the differences in the accounting quality between the shariah compliant and non-shariah compliant companies in pre-and post-implementations of IFRS. Using  2169 firm-year observations from firms listed on the Bursa Kuala Lumpur Stock Exchange over the period of 2008  to 2016, the result shows that the implementation of MFRS have reduced the firms’ earnings management. However, this study provides new arguments that Shariah-complaints firms in Malaysia do not necessary have greater incentives to report high-quality reporting based on the investor perspectives.  Our evidence thus help to explains the different impact on IFRS adoption on accounting quality in Malaysia and shariah complaint compnaies

CRITICAL FACTORS OF THE NATURAL RUBBER PRICE INSTABILITY IN THE WORLD MARKET

Purpose:  Natural rubber (NR) production has a long history and has been contributing as one of the most important economic sectors in Malaysia recently. In enhancing the Malaysian rubber economy, it is crucial to find a balance between supply-side and demand-side considerations in order to stabilize the NR price in the worldwide market.  This has raised the motivation and objectives of this research is to investigate the critical factors affecting the NR price instability in the world market, and to estimate and predict the NR price instability and to examine the most related factors that influence the price model by using ex-post and ex-ante forecast analysis.  Methodology:  Number of profound research methods Vector Error Correction Method (VECM) by Gujarati and Porter; cointegration rank test by Dwyer; and ex-post forecast method by Pindyck and Rubinfeld have been utilized in this study. The data used from 2008 January to 2016 December: monthly time series data.  Results: The results show that the explanatory variables of NR production, total NR consumption, crude oil price, and Shanghai NR price indicate a significant relationship with Malaysian NR price (SMR20), on the contrary, the exchange rate is not significant.  Implications: The outcome of the study is closely related to the current situation of the exchange rate appreciation in the late of 2017 that may benefit the decision-making process of economic planning for the NR production stability, and price in the worldwide NR market as well

Examining between Exchange Rate Volatility and Natural Rubber Prices: Engle-Granger Causality Test

There are two objectives of this study, first, it is to determine the impact of exchange rate volatility on Malaysian natural rubber (NR) prices of (SMR20 and RSS4); second, it is to forecast a short-term exchange rate (ERP) of Malaysian Ringgit (RM per USD) and NR prices strongly represented in the Malaysian NR market. The granger causality test is first analyzed using the vector error correction model (VECM) with the more efficient Engle-Granger causality procedure. Both short-term ERP and NR prices ex-ante forecasts are tested using Pindyck and Rubinfeld's procedures. The result shows the RSS4 NR price Granger-causes the SMR20 NR price and also ERP with unidirectional causality relationship. Both ERP and NR prices forecasts would be on a slightly increasing trend from January to June 2016. It was due to government and traders changing their behaviour by increasing domestic consumptions for the stabilization of the NR supply-demand balance. Keywords: Exchange Rate Volatility, Forecasting, Malaysian Natural Rubber Price JEL Classifications: C1, C2, D4, F31, F3

Abundant copy-number loss of CYCLOPS and STOP genes in gastric adenocarcinoma

Background Gastric cancer, a leading cause of cancer death worldwide, has been little studied compared with other cancers that impose similar health burdens. Our goal is to assess genomic copy-number loss and the possible functional consequences and therapeutic implications thereof across a large series of gastric adenocarcinomas. Methods We used high-density single-nucleotide polymorphism microarrays to determine patterns of copy-number loss and allelic imbalance in 74 gastric adenocarcinomas. We investigated whether suppressor of tumorigenesis and/or proliferation (STOP) genes are associated with genomic copy-number loss. We also analyzed the extent to which copy-number loss affects Copy-number alterations Yielding Cancer Liabilities Owing to Partial losS (CYCLOPS) genes–genes that may be attractive targets for therapeutic inhibition when partially deleted. Results The proportion of the genome subject to copy-number loss varies considerably from tumor to tumor, with a median of 5.5 %, and a mean of 12 % (range 0–58.5 %). On average, 91 STOP genes were subject to copy-number loss per tumor (median 35, range 0–452), and STOP genes tended to have lower copy-number compared with the rest of the genes. Furthermore, on average, 1.6 CYCLOPS genes per tumor were both subject to copy-number loss and downregulated, and 51.4 % of the tumors had at least one such gene. Conclusions The enrichment of STOP genes in regions of copy-number loss indicates that their deletion may contribute to gastric carcinogenesis. Furthermore, the presence of several deleted and downregulated CYCLOPS genes in some tumors suggests potential therapeutic targets in these tumors.Singapore. Ministry of Health (Duke-NUS Signature Research Programs)Singapore. Agency for Science, Technology and ResearchSingapore-MIT Allianc