The study looked at 30 Malaysian companies to see if their high long-term debt compared to equity indicated financial distress. If a company's long-term debt is more than half its equity, it may be in trouble. The researchers used data from 2012 to 2016 to analyze factors like return on assets and current ratio. They found that companies with high debt compared to equity may be facing financial distress. This information can help managers keep an eye on their company's financial health.