This study aimed to investigate the perceptions of senior managers of Malaysian publicly listed companies on issues relating to audit committee authority and effectiveness. Questionnaire survey technique was employed to seek the respondents perceptions on five issues, namely audit committee appoints the auditor, audit committee determines and reviews audit fees, audit committee determines and reviews the auditor’s scope and duties, and audit committee’s reports and meetings. The majority of respondents agreed that auditor would be more effective and independent if audit committee assumed the responsibility to appoint the auditor, determine and review the audit fees, and determine and review the external auditor’s scope and duties. It is also found that disclosure of audit committee report and quarterly meeting would enhance the perceptions of users of financial statement concerning the effectiveness of the committee.

An audit committee would effectively deliver their duties if there were adequate resources. In the US, the National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD) (2000) pointed out that 'sufficient resources' is one of the three keys to an effective oversight process of an audit committee. Consistently, Treadway Report stressed the importance for an audit eommittee to have adequate resources and authority to effectively discharge their duties (Treadway, 1987) ...