Enhanced corporate governance standards for financial institutions

Good governance is a critical component of sound financial institutions and plays a key role in maintaining public confidence in the financial system.

The revised standards strengthen the conditions for strong and effective boards, with greater emphasis on a sound risk culture and remuneration system in promoting prudent risk-taking.

In addition, the standards address issues arising from more complex organisational structures and business models of financial institutions that have expanded in size and across borders.

Collectively, this aims to set the gold standard for corporate governance in Malaysia, in line with the important role of financial institutions in the financial system and wider economy.

• strengthened requirements on board composition, including a requirement for boards to have a majority of independent directors;

• enhanced expectations for the board and its committees, including a requirement to approve and maintain credible recovery and resolution plans under conditions of stress;

• an expectation for boards to set a tenure limit for independent directors which should not generally exceed nine years;

• requirements for financial institutions to adopt a code of ethics that promotes ethical, prudent and professional behaviour, supported by a transparent whistleblowing policy;

• expanded requirements on remuneration arrangements which promote a sound risk culture and are aligned with prudent risk-taking; and

• strengthened expectations for effective group-wide governance arrangements.