This study investigates the impact of corporate governance on social and environmental information disclosure of Malaysian listed banks by using a panel data analysis. The proxies for good corporate governance are board leadership structure, board composition, board size, director ownership, institutional ownership and block ownership. Social and environmental information disclosure index is developed and content analysis is conducted by cross checking between the social and environmental information disclosed in the annual reports and the disclosure index developed by the researcher. The disclosure score used in this study is weighted disclosure score after considering the opinions of accountants and financial analysts who represent preparers and users of the accounting information respectively. The findings show that smaller board size, higher percentage of independent directors (1%) on the board, higher board size (1%), higher percentage of director ownership, lower institutional and lower block ownership (5%) have higher information disclosure.

Abstract. The authors compare the al-Bay' Bithaman Ajil (BBA) and the Musharakah Mutanaqisah Partnership (MMP) contracts. The BBA, a murabahah contract, was argued to be problematic and even unIslamic for long-duration contracts. The MMP contract which is a combination of musharakah (partnership) and ijarah (rental) contracts was argued to be a more appealing alternative. In the MMP, the equity of the financier diminishes progressively while, in accordance, the equity of the customer grows. Unlike for the BBA contract, scholars are consensus on the Shari'ah permissibility of the MMP contract. A mathematical derivation for the MMP showed that the formula for the MMP to be similar to the formula used in conventional loans but nonetheless with the interest rate replaced with the rental rate. Therefore, one major advantage of MMP was argued to be that it can avoid interest (riba) totally. Also, unlike under the BBA, the balance of financing, at any point in time, never exceeds the original price of the asset. Nevertheless, some practical issues need to be addressed particularly the means of estimating the rental rate, tax issues, defaults and asset value appreciation. This paper discusses these issues. When not profitable for the banks, when rental rates fall short of interest rates, the MMP can be implemented through cooperatives, which can be also an investment avenue for members.

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Purpose In line with the IFSB and BCBS methodology, the purpose of this study is to undertake a comparative analysis of dual banking systems for asset-liability management (ALM) practices with the duration gap, in Islamic Commercial Banks (ICBs) and Conventional Commercial Banks (CCBs). Based on the research objective, two research questions are developed: How do the duration gaps of ICBs compare with those of similar sized CCBs? Are there any country-specific and regional differences among ICBs in terms of managing their duration gaps? Design/methodology/approach The research methodology comprises two-stages: stage one uses a duration gap model to calculate the duration gaps of ICBs and CCBs; stage two applies parametric tests. In terms of the duration gap model, the study determines the duration gap with a four-step process. The study selected a sample of 100 banks (50 ICBs and 50 CCBs) from 13 countries for the period 2009-2015. Findings The paper provides empirical insights into the duration gap and ALM of ICBs and CCBs. The ICBs have more variations in their mean duration gap compared to the CCBs, and they have a tendency for a higher (more) mean duration gap (28.37 years) in comparison to the CCBs (11.79 years). The study found ICBs as having 2.41 times more duration gap compared to the CCBs, and they are exposed to increasing rate of return (ROR) risk due to their larger duration gaps and severe liquidity mismatches. There are significant regional differences in terms of the duration gap and asset-liability management. Research limitations/implications Future studies also consider “Off-Balance Sheet” activities of the ICBs, with multi-term duration measures. A larger sample size of 100 ICBs with 10 years’ data after the GFC would be more beneficial to the industry. In addition, the impact of an increasing benchmark rate (e.g. 100, 200 and 300 bps) on the ICBs as per the IFSB 20 per cent threshold can also be established with the duration gap approach to identify the vulnerabilities of the ICBs. Practical implications The study makes profound contributions to the literature and suggests various policy recommendations for Islamic banks, regulators, and standard setters of the ICBs, for identifying and measuring the significance of the duration gaps; and management of the ROR risk under Pillar 2 of the BCBS and IFSB, for financial soundness and stability purposes. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is a pioneer study in Islamic banking involving a sample of 100 banks (50 ICBs and 50 CCBs) from 13 countries. The results of the study provide original empirical evidence regarding the estimation of duration gap, and variations across jurisdictions in terms of vulnerability of ICBs and CCBs in dual banking systems.

Purpose This study aims to examine the issues and challenges in contemporary affordable public housing schemes and proposes an alternative affordable public housing model for low- and middle-income households in Malaysia. Design/methodology/approach The paper applied qualitative research method. Semi-structured in-depth interviews with four government officials were conducted to understand the provision, framework and working mechanism of selected affordable public housing schemes. A focus group with nine participants was conducted with low- and middle-income households to validate pertaining residential issues and problems in affordable public housing schemes. Findings The overall findings reveal that the growing plights of unaffordability, poor maintenance and mismanagement have undermined the performance of affordable public housing schemes in Malaysia. The paper indicates that Islamic Public–Private Housing Co-operative Model (IPHCM) possibly has a comparative advantage in its design and operation and therefore can be implemented as an alternative model to address these issues in contemporary affordable public housing schemes in Malaysia. The findings also offer guidelines to government officials and managers of public housing schemes to implement the IPHCM model that can help in reducing the financial burden on low- and middle-income households, improving maintenance work and enforcing effective management practices with residents’ participation. Research limitations/implications The paper is limited to develop a new Shariah-compliant affordable public housing model. The paper presents a design and defines the underlying Shariah concept and contracts and their working mechanisms in the proposed model. The paper has not considered other related areas in the development of IPHCM model including Shariah and subject matter expert’s perspective, consumer behavioural intention, legal and regulatory requirements. Originality/value The paper has relevance for policymakers and government institutions offering affordable public housing schemes to ensure successful deliverability of sustainable and affordable public housing for low- and middle-income households in Malaysia.