Ethical Dilemmas in Financial Reporting for Malaysian Corporations: Case Studies and Corporate Responses

HRMARS - Manuscript type: Case study-based qualitative research Research aims: To investigate the causes, manifestations, and responses to ethical dilemmas in financial reporting among Malaysian corporations from 2015 to 2025. Design/Methodology/Approach: A qualitative approach is applied by means of a case study, whereby twenty cases of high-profile Malaysian corporate financial scandals are studied using secondary reports from regulators, media coverage, and company disclosures. Research findings: Recurring themes of asset misappropriation, fraudulent transactions, related-party abuses, opacity of debt restructuring, and disclosure failures emerge. These were enabled by governance failures, political interference, and inadequate enforcement. Theoretical contribution/Originality: The paper attempts to bridge ethical theory in financial reporting with real-world misconduct, thus strengthening the linkage of poor ethical infrastructure with financial manipulation in emerging markets. Practitioner/Policy Implication: The results emphasize the urgency for stronger board independence, proactive protections for whistleblowers, strict enforcement of corporate governance codes, and ethical training in accounting schools. Research Limitations/Implications: The research draws greatly on secondary sources, which restrict access to confidential friends and underrepresenting significantly the realization or misbehaviour that is still unfolding. Future studies could involve interviews and internal data collection with ethical clearance.