On 19 December 2025, the Malaysian Accounting Standards Board (MASB) issued a publication titled “Disclosures about Uncertainties in the Financial Statements”.
The publication contains six illustrative examples designed to help companies understand how to disclose uncertainties in their financial statements. The examples are aligned with guidance issued by the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) and demonstrate how existing IFRS and MFRS requirements can be applied in practice.
Although many of the examples focus on climate-related uncertainties, the principles are also relevant to other uncertainties that may affect financial reporting.
These examples do not introduce new accounting requirements or amend MFRS 137 Provisions, Contingent Liabilities and Contingent Assets. Instead, they provide practical guidance to help entities apply existing disclosure requirements more clearly and consistently.
There is no formal effective date. However, entities are encouraged to consider the examples when preparing financial statements for periods ending in December 2025 onwards.
The Issue under MFRS 137
MFRS 137 requires an entity to recognise a provision when all of the following conditions are met:
- The entity has a present obligation;
- An outflow of economic benefits is probable; and
- The amount of the obligation can be estimated reliably.
However, the amount recognised in the financial statements may appear small when the obligation is expected to be settled far in the future and the estimated cash outflows are heavily discounted.
The key question is:
If the provision recognised today is not material, should the entity still disclose information about the obligation when future uncertainties could significantly affect the financial outcome?
The illustrative example clarifies that disclosure may still be necessary when the underlying information is material to users, even if the provision recognised in the financial statements is relatively small.
Example: Plant Decommissioning and Site Restoration
Assume that a manufacturing company operates several industrial plants and has legal obligations to:
- Dismantle its plants; and
- Restore the surrounding land after the facilities are closed.
The company expects the plants to operate for several decades. As a result, the provision recognised today, after discounting the expected future costs, may be small.
However, several factors could cause the facilities to close earlier than expected, including:
- Climate transition policies;
- New environmental regulations; and
- Declining demand for high-carbon products.
If the plants are closed earlier, the company may need to settle its decommissioning and site restoration obligations sooner. This could result in significantly earlier and larger cash outflows than currently expected.
Even if the provision recognised at the reporting date is not material, the company may still need to disclose:
- The nature of the obligation;
- The expected timing of settlement;
- The uncertainties affecting the amount or timing of future costs; and
- The key assumptions relating to the future operation of the facilities.
Who May Be Affected?
1. Companies with Environmental or Decommissioning Obligations
The example is particularly relevant to industries with long-term obligations to dismantle facilities or restore sites, including:
- Mining;
- Energy;
- Manufacturing;
- Oil and gas; and
- Infrastructure.
2. Financial Statement Preparers
Finance teams should consider whether:
- Long-term provisions involve significant uncertainties;
- Environmental or regulatory changes could accelerate the timing of the obligation; and
- Additional narrative disclosure is necessary even if the provision amount appears small.
This may require more detailed explanations about future obligations, assumptions and potential changes in timing.
3. Auditors
Auditors are likely to focus on:
- Whether the entity has properly assessed the materiality of the obligation;
- Whether environmental and regulatory risks have been considered;
- Whether the provision reflects the best available information; and
- Whether the disclosures adequately explain the relevant uncertainties.
Entities should expect greater audit attention to environmental provisions and decommissioning liabilities.
4. Investors and Other Financial Statement Users
Investors and other users need information about:
- Long-term environmental obligations;
- Potential future cash outflows; and
- Risks that could accelerate the recognition or settlement of liabilities.
Transparent disclosures help users assess the company’s future financial risks and sustainability-related exposure.
When Should Entities Consider the Examples?
The illustrative examples do not amend MFRS 137 and therefore do not have a mandatory effective date.
However:
- MASB issued the publication on 19 December 2025; and
- Entities are encouraged to consider the examples when preparing financial statements for periods ending in December 2025 onwards.
Companies should implement any necessary improvements to their disclosures within a reasonable period, or “sufficient time”. This would typically be within several months and generally should not exceed one year.
Key Lessons for Accountants and Auditors
1. Materiality Is Not Limited to the Recorded Amount
Even when the provision recognised in the financial statements is small, the underlying obligation may still be important to users.
2. Future Uncertainties Should Be Explained
Climate transition risks, environmental regulations and market changes may cause an obligation to be settled earlier or at a different amount than originally expected.
3. Users Need to Understand Long-Term Liabilities
Disclosures should explain the nature, timing and uncertainties relating to long-term obligations so that investors and other users can assess their potential financial effects.
A small provision today does not necessarily mean that the underlying obligation is unimportant. The future risks, timing and assumptions may be material to users of the financial statements.
MFRS 137：预计负债及长期义务中的不确定性披露
2025 年 12 月 19 日，**马来西亚会计准则委员会（MASB）**发布了题为 **《财务报表中的不确定性披露》（Disclosures about Uncertainties in the Financial Statements）**的出版物。
该出版物包含六个示例，旨在帮助企业理解应如何在财务报表中披露不确定性。这些示例与**国际会计准则理事会（IASB）**发布的指引保持一致，并展示现有 IFRS 及 MFRS 要求应如何在实务中应用。
虽然许多示例聚焦于气候相关不确定性，但其中所说明的原则同样适用于其他可能影响财务报告的不确定性。
这些示例并没有引入新的会计要求，也没有修订 MFRS 137《预计负债、或有负债及或有资产》，而是提供实务指引，帮助企业更清晰及一致地应用现有披露要求。
这些示例没有正式的生效日期。不过，企业应考虑在编制 2025 年 12 月及之后结束的报告期间财务报表时参考相关内容。
MFRS 137 所涉及的核心问题
根据 MFRS 137，当以下条件全部满足时，企业必须确认预计负债：
- 企业存在现时义务；
- 未来很可能需要流出经济利益；以及
- 该义务的金额能够可靠估计。
不过，如果有关义务预计在很久以后才需要结算，而未来现金流出经过大幅折现，财务报表中目前确认的金额可能看起来很小，甚至不重大。
核心问题是：
如果目前确认的预计负债金额并不重大，但未来的不确定性可能显著影响财务结果，企业是否仍然需要披露相关义务？
相关示例说明，即使财务报表中确认的预计负债金额较小，只要背后的信息对使用者具有重要性，企业仍可能需要进行披露。
例子：厂房拆除与土地恢复义务
假设一家制造企业经营多家工业厂房，并且承担以下法律义务：
- 拆除厂房及相关设施；以及
- 在设施关闭后恢复周边土地。
由于企业预计这些厂房还会继续使用数十年，因此，将预计未来成本折现后，目前确认的预计负债金额可能很小。
然而，以下因素可能导致厂房比预期更早关闭：
- 气候转型政策；
- 新的环保法规；以及
- 高碳产品的市场需求下降。
如果厂房提前关闭，企业可能需要更早履行拆除及土地恢复义务。这将导致现金流出时间明显提前，金额也可能高于目前的预期。
因此，即使报告日确认的预计负债金额并不重大，企业仍可能需要披露：
- 相关义务的性质；
- 预计结算时间；
- 影响未来成本金额或发生时间的不确定性；以及
- 与设施未来运营有关的主要假设。
哪些企业可能受到影响？
1. 具有环境或拆除义务的企业
这一示例特别适用于承担长期设施拆除或场地恢复义务的行业，包括：
- 采矿业；
- 能源业；
- 制造业；
- 石油及天然气行业；以及
- 基础设施行业。
2. 财务报表编制人员
财务团队应考虑：
- 长期预计负债是否涉及重大不确定性；
- 环保或监管变化是否可能加快相关义务的履行时间；以及
- 即使预计负债金额看起来很小，是否仍需增加叙述性披露。
企业可能需要更详细地说明未来义务、所采用的假设，以及相关义务发生时间可能出现的变化。
3. 审计师
审计师可能会重点关注：
- 企业是否充分评估相关义务的重要性；
- 是否考虑环境及监管风险；
- 预计负债是否反映现有的最佳资料；以及
- 披露是否充分解释相关不确定性。
企业应预期，审计师可能会更加关注环境预计负债及厂房拆除负债。
4. 投资者及其他财务报表使用者
投资者及其他使用者需要了解：
- 企业所承担的长期环境义务；
- 未来可能发生的现金流出；以及
- 可能加快负债确认或结算的风险。
透明的披露有助于使用者评估企业未来的财务风险及可持续发展相关风险。
企业何时应考虑这些示例？
这些示例并没有修改 MFRS 137，因此没有强制性的生效日期。
不过：
- MASB 已于 2025 年 12 月 19 日发布相关出版物；以及
- 企业应在编制 2025 年 12 月及之后结束的报告期间财务报表时考虑这些示例。
企业应在合理的时间内，即在“足够时间”内，落实必要的披露改进。一般来说，这通常应在数个月内完成，且通常不应超过一年。
给会计人员及审计师的重点启示
1. 重要性不只取决于确认金额
即使财务报表中确认的预计负债金额很小，背后的长期义务对使用者而言仍可能具有重要性。
2. 应解释未来的不确定性
气候转型风险、环保法规及市场变化，都可能导致相关义务比原先预期更早结算，或以不同金额结算。
3. 使用者需要了解长期负债
企业应披露长期义务的性质、时间及相关不确定性，让投资者及其他使用者能够评估其潜在财务影响。
目前确认的预计负债金额很小，并不代表相关义务不重要。对财务报表使用者而言，未来风险、履行时间及所采用的假设同样可能是重要信息。
