ACT 125
COMPANIES ACT 1965 (REVISED - 1973)
PART VI - ACCOUNTS AND AUDIT
DIVISION 2 - AUDIT

 
Section 174. Powers and duties of auditors as to reports on accounts.
 
(1) Every auditor of a company shall report to the members on the accounts required to be laid before the company in general meeting and on the company's accounting and other records relating to those accounts and if it is a holding company for which consolidated accounts are prepared shall also report to the members on the consolidated accounts.

(2) An auditor shall, in a report under this section, state—

    (a) whether the accounts and, if the company is a holding company for which consolidated accounts are prepared, the consolidated accounts are in his opinion property drawn up—

      (i) so as to give a true and fair view of the matters required by section 169 to be dealt with in the accounts and, if there are consolidated accounts, in the consolidated accounts;

      (ii) in accordance with the provisions of this Act so as to give a true and fair view of the company's affairs; and

      (iii) in accordance with the applicable approved accounting standards;

    (aa) if in his opinion the accounts, and where applicable the consolidated accounts, have not been drawn up in accordance with a particular applicable approved accounting standard—

      (i) whether in his opinion the accounts or consolidated accounts, as the case may be, would, if drawn up in accordance with the approved accounting standard, have given a true and fair view of the matters required by section 169 to be dealt with in the accounts or consolidated accounts;

      (ii) if in his opinion the accounts or consolidated accounts, as the case may be, would not, if so drawn up, have given a true and fair view of those matters, his reasons for holding that opinion;

      (iii) if the directors have given the particulars of the quantified financial effect under subsection 166A(5), his opinion concerning the particulars; and

      (iv) in a case to which neither subparagraph (ii) nor (iii) applies, particulars of the quantified financial effect on the accounts or consolidated accounts of the failure to so draw up the accounts or consolidated accounts, as the case may be;

    (b) whether the accounting and other records and the registers required by this Act to be kept by the company and, if it is a holding company, by the subsidiaries other than those of which he has not acted as auditor have been, in his opinion, properly kept in accordance with the provisions of this Act;

    (c) in the case of consolidated accounts —

      (i) the names of the subsidiaries, if any, of which he has not acted as auditor;

      (ii) whether he has considered the accounts and auditor's reports of all subsidiaries of which he has not acted as auditor, being accounts that are included (whether separately or consolidated with other accounts) in the consolidated accounts;

      (iii) whether he is satisfied that the accounts of the subsidiaries that are consolidated with other accounts are in form and content appropriate and proper for the purposes of the preparation of the consolidated accounts, and whether he has received satisfactory information and explanations as required by him for those purposes; and

      (iv) whether the auditor's report on the accounts of any subsidiary was made subject to any qualification (other than a qualification that is not material in relation to the consolidated accounts), or included any comment made under subsection (3), and, if so, particulars of the qualification or comment;

    (d) any defect or irregularity in the accounts or consolidated accounts and any matter not set out in the accounts or consolidated accounts without regard to which a true and fair view of the matters dealt with by the accounts or consolidated accounts would not be obtained; and

    (e) if he is not satisfied as to any matter referred to in paragraph (a), (b) or (c), his reasons for not being so satisfied.

(3) It is the duty of an auditor of a company to form an opinion as to each of the following matters:

    (a) whether he has obtained all the information and explanations that he required;

    (b) whether proper accounting and other records (including registers) have been kept by the company as required by this Act;

    (c) whether the returns received from branch offices of the company are adequate; and

    (d) whether the procedures and methods used by a holding company or a subsidiary in arriving at the amount taken into any consolidated accounts were appropriate to the circumstances of the consolidation,

and he shall state in his report particulars of any deficiency, failure or shortcoming in respect of any matter referred to in this subsection.

(4) An auditor of a company has a right of access at all reasonable times to the accounting and other records (including registers) of the company, and is entitled to require from any officer of the company and any auditor of a related company such information and explanations as he desires for the purposes of audit.

(5) An auditor of a holding company for which consolidated accounts are required has a right of access at all reasonable times to the accounting and other records (including registers) of any subsidiary, if necessary, and is entitled to require from any officer or auditor of any subsidiary, at the expense of the holding company, such information and explanations in relation to the affairs of the subsidiary as he requires for the purpose of reporting on the consolidated accounts.

(6) The auditor's report shall be attached to or endorsed on the accounts or consolidated accounts and shall, if any member so requires, be read before the company in general meeting and shall be open to inspection by any member at any reasonable time.

(7) An auditor of a company or his agent authorized by him in writing for the purpose is entitled to attend any general meeting of the company and to receive all notices of, and other communications relating to, any general meeting which a member is entitled to receive, and to be heard at any general meeting which he attends on any part of the business of the meeting which concerns the auditor in his capacity as auditor.

(8) If an auditor, in the course of the performance of his duties as auditor of a company, is satisfied that—

    (a) there has been a breach or non-observance of any of the provisions of this Act; and

    (b) the circumstances are such that in his opinion the matter has not been or will not be adequately dealt with by comment in his report on the accounts or consolidated accounts or by bringing the matter to the notice of the directors of the company or, if the company is a subsidiary, of the directors of its holding company,

he shall forthwith report the matter in writing to the Registrar.

Penalty: Imprisonment for two years or thirty thousand ringgit or both.
    Duties of auditors of public company

    (8A) In addition to subsection (8), if an auditor in the course of performance of his duties as an auditor of a public company or a company controlled by a public company, is of the opinion that a serious offence involving fraud or dishonesty is being or has been committed against the company or this Act by officers of the company, he shall forthwith report the matter in writing to the Registrar.

    Penalty: Imprisonment for seven years or two hundred and fifty thousand ringgit or both.

    (8B) No duty to which an auditor of a company may be subjected to shall be regarded as having been contravened by reason of his reporting the matter referred to in subsection (8A) in good faith to the Registrar.

    (8C) For the purpose of subsection (8A)—

      (a) a company is presumed, unless the contrary is established, to be controlled by a public company if the public company is entitled to exercise or control the exercise of not less than fifteen per centum of votes attached to the voting shares of the company; and

      (b) "a serious offence involving fraud or dishonesty" means an offence that is punishable by imprisonment for a term that is not less than two years or the value of the assets derived or likely to be derived or any, loss suffered by the company, member or debenture holder from the commission of such an offence exceeds two hundred and fifty thousand ringgit and includes offences under sections 364, 364A, 366 and 368.
[(8A; (8B); (8C); Ins. Act A1299:s.20]
    (9) An officer of a corporation who refuses or fails without lawful excuse to allow an auditor of the corporation or an auditor of a corporation who refuses or fails without lawful excuse to allow an auditor of its holding company access, in accordance with this section, to any accounting and other records (including registers) of the corporation in his custody or control, or to give any information or explanation as and when required under this section, or otherwise hinders, obstructs or delays an auditor in the performance of his duties or the exercise of his powers, shall be guilty of an offence against this Act.

    Penalty: Imprisonment for two years or thirty thousand ringgit or both.