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MACD urges boards to lead 13MP governance, ESG, AI reforms

MACD urges boards to lead 13MP governance, ESG, AI reforms

New Straits Times17 hours ago
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia's corporate boards should spearhead the implementation of governance reforms under the 13th Malaysia Plan (13MP), according to the Malaysian Alliance of Corporate Directors (MACD).
In a statement, MACD said directors should embed environmental, social and governance (ESG) principles into corporate strategy and reporting.
The director of the institute also called for board-level oversight on artificial intelligence (AI) ethics and risk and greater boardroom diversity in line with the government's target of 60 per cent women participation.
"We also call on the government to strengthen collaboration with corporate directors to align board accountability with national governance priorities and ensure both listed companies and SMEs are supported in this transformation.
"MACD stands ready to contribute through training, frameworks and peer learning and looks forward to contributing to a well-governed and future-ready Malaysia," it added.
MACD welcomed the strong direction set by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim in the 13MP, particularly its focus on good governance, AI readiness and long-term national competitiveness.
"We fully support the government's goal of placing Malaysia among the top 25 in the Corruption Perception Index and top 12 in the IMD Competitiveness Yearbook.
"These are governance targets and corporate Malaysia has a central role to play in achieving them," it said.
MACD noted the importance of key structural reforms introduced under 13MP, including the ILTIZAM Act, the Public Finance and Fiscal Responsibility Act and a renewed emphasis on GovTech and the MyDigital ID.
It said these initiatives mark a significant step forward in strengthening accountability across both the public and private sectors.
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