Extent of Disclosure in the Annual Reports of Malaysian Federal Statutory Bodies

Abstract

Federal statutory bodies in Malaysia are public sector organizations that adopt a corporate style-management, where annual report serves as an important accountability medium. This study aimed at determining the extent of accountability information disclosed by these bodies in their annual reports. Using a disclosure index derived from the public accountability paradigm, 106 annual reports were analysed. Findings suggest that these bodies provided a moderate level of disclosure in their reports. The highest disclosure was found in the Performance category while the least disclosure was detected in the Governance category. In this regard, more efforts are required in ensuring that the annual reports of such federal statutory bodies serve more effectively as a mechanism by which public accountability agenda can be achieved and fulfilled.

DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2016.v7n2p158