KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 9 — The Transparency Index of Malaysia’s top 100 public-listed companies (PLCs) increased to 76.43 this year from 75.99 recorded last year, according to the 2014 report of the Minority Shareholders Watchdog Group (MSWG).
In 2012, the index was at 68.2.
The findings, called MSWG-Asean Corporate Governance Index 2014, assessed the companies based on transparency of disclosure.
“The companies were assessed based on the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Principles of Corporate Governance criteria,” said MSWG chairman Tan Sri Dr Sulaiman Mahbob.
“(The criteria are) the rights of shareholders, equitable treatment of shareholders, role of stakeholders, disclosure and transparency, as well as board responsibilities.”
He said this in his welcoming address at the MSWG-Asean Corporate Governance Transparency Index, Findings and Recognition 2014 here today.
In terms of disclosure of Annual General Meeting minutes, the findings showed among the companies that complied with this criterion this year were AirAsia Bhd, Public Bank Bhd, Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd, Malayan Banking Bhd and Petronas Gas Bhd.
The findings also revealed that the number of women who were appointed as members to the board of directors increased to 12 per cent this year from 10 per cent last year.
The government has set a target of having 30 per cent representation of women on boards of directors by 2016. — Bernama
