External Audit Reporting in Malaysia: An Exploratory Analysis on Key Audit Matters
Fakulti Ekonomi dan Pengurusan
Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia
43600 UKM Bangi Selangor
MALAYSIA
Abstract
Piawaian ISA 701, Komunikasi Perkara Utama Audit dalam laporan juruaudit bebas, mengkehendaki juruaudit melaporkan isu-isu yang dianggap sebagai utama semasa kerja-kerja audit dilakukan. Piawaian ini efektif pada 15 Disember 2016 adalah merupakan piawaian terbaharu berkaitan laporan juruaudit bebas. Kajian ini meneliti ciri-ciri pelaporan perkara utama audit selepas ISA 701 dikeluarkan dan menyelidiki bagaimana perkara utama audit dilaporkan terutamanya dalam kalangan syarikat yang mempunyai masalah usaha berterusan dan menerima laporan audit tanpa syarat dan syarikat yang menerima laporan audit bersyarat. Dengan menggunakan kaedah persampelan bertujuan kajian ini menganalisa 99 perenggan perkata utama audit daripada 46 syarikat tersenarai di Bursa Malaysia daripada tahun 2016 hingga 2018, hasil penemuan kajian menunjukkan pendedahan perkara utama audit lebih bersifat generik dengan mempunyai fokus yang hampir sama. Analisis seterusnya mendapati perbezaan ketara pendedahan perkara utama audit antara dalam kalangan syarikat yang mempunyai masalah usaha berterusan dan menerima laporan audit tanpa syarat dan syarikat yang menerima laporan audit bersyarat. Hasil kajian eksploratori ini dapat memberikan gambaran awal kepada pembuat dasar, juruaudit, pengguna penyata kewangan dan pelajar-pelajar dalam memahami ciri-ciri perkara utama audit selepas ISA 701 dikeluarkan dan melihat bagaimana perkara utama audit dilaporkan terutamanya bagi syarikat yang mempunyai masalah usaha berterusan dan menerima laporan audit tanpa syarat dan syarikat yang menerima laporan audit bersyarat.
The ISA 701 Standard, Communicating Key Audit Matters in the Independent Auditors’ Report, requires external auditors to report issues that are considered to be major during audit work. This standard, which effective on 15 December 2016, is the latest standard with regards to the independent auditor’s report. This study examines the features of key audit matters reported after the ISA 701 was issued and investigates how the key audit matters were reported, particularly among going concern problem companies that received unqualified auditor’s reports and companies that received qualified auditor’s reports. Using convenience sampling method, this study analyses 99 key audit matters from 46 random samples of listed companies in Bursa Malaysia from 2016 to 2018, overall findings show that the key audit matters were reported in generic with similar focus. However, further analyses indicate that significant differences in the disclosure of the key audit matters between the unqualified audit reports with material uncertainty of going concern issue and qualified audit reports. The findings of this exploratory study provides an overview for policymakers, auditors, users of financial statements and students in understanding the key features of the audit report after ISA 701 was issued particularly among going concern problem companies that received unqualified auditor’s reports and companies that received qualified auditor’s reports.