President of Curtin Sarawak Accounting Club Ling Yi Kai presenting a souvenir to Eleanor Shim in the presence of (L-R) organising chairperson Priscilla Bong Tze Ling, Accounting Club vice-president Ho Mei Hui, Accounting Department head Anbalagan Krishnan and Dean of School of Business Shamsul Kamariah Abdullah.
Miri – 19 August 2011 – Accounting students of Curtin University, Sarawak Malaysia (Curtin Sarawak) were recently given a valuable insight into the role and workings of the Malaysian Institute of Accountants (MIA) through a talk given by Eleanor Shim, its Sarawak Regional Manager.
The talk, which was organised by the Curtin Sarawak Accounting Club, also expounded the benefits of advancing their future careers through membership in the MIA.
According to organising chairperson Priscilla Bong Tze Ling, Shim was the ideal speaker for the talk, considering she has been the MIA’s Sarawak Regional Manager for approximately four years and has considerable experience in the accounting field.
In her talk, Shim provided vital information on the MIA’s core functions, which include admitting members to the MIA, regulating the profession, conducting its Qualifying Examination (QE), promoting interest in the accounting profession, and training and educating its members.
She also elaborated on the importance of MIA membership and how one can qualify to be a member either by obtaining a local degree recognised by the MIA along with three years of working experience, or a professional qualification such as MICPA and CPA Australia, or by passing the MIA QE and garnering three years’ working experience in a relevant field.
Shim further pointed out that the word ‘accountant’ is protected under provisions of the Accountants Act 1967, which state that no one can hold himself out or practise as an accountant unless he or she is registered as a member of MIA.
A question and answer session followed, during which Shim fielded as series of questions from the students, who were obviously intrigued by her talk. She also conducted a quiz to test their understanding of the topics covered.
The MIA is a statutory body established under the Accountants Act, 1967 to regulate and develop the accountancy profession in Malaysia. Its responsibilities include education and quality assurance as well as enforcement, which are carried out to ensure that the credibility of the profession is maintained and that public interest is continuously upheld.
It also monitors international and local accounting trends and developments, and consults regularly with the government and regulatory bodies. It is headquartered in Kuala Lumpur and has regional offices in Sarawak, Sabah, Penang and Johor Bahru.
Accounting programmes offered at Curtin Sarawak qualify for purposes of the MIA QE, testifying to the quality of the programmes and the fact that they meet international standards and industry needs. Furthermore, the programmes are deemed to be guided by a well-defined mission, meet the overall objectives of accounting education, and possess the faculty, leadership and resources necessary to maintain quality in the foreseeable future.
Graduates of the Bachelor of Commerce (Accounting), Bachelor of Commerce (Accounting & Finance), Bachelor of Commerce (Accounting & Entrepreneurship) and Bachelor of Commerce (Accounting and Marketing) programmes are eligible to sit the QE and, on completion, apply to become Chartered Accountants (Malaysia), after obtaining the prerequisite 3 years of practical experience.
Through the QE, the MIA provides an avenue for membership admission for those who do not possess a qualification recognised under Part I and Part II of the First Schedule to the Malaysian Accountants Act 1967. Therefore, those who possess a qualification relating to accounting, business and finance recognised by the Public Services Department (JPA) or other qualifications approved by the MIA Council are eligible to sit for the examination.
All of Curtin Sarawak’s programmes are recognised by the Malaysian Qualifications Agency (MQA) and Public Services Department (JPA), and in addition to the MIA recognition, its accounting programmes are accredited by CPA Australia, Institute of Chartered Accountants in Australia (ICAA), Chartered Institute of Management Accountants UK (CIMA), Association of Chartered Certified Accountants, UK (ACCA) and the Malaysian Institute of Certified Public Accountants (MICPA).
Anbalagan Krishnan, Head of the Accounting Department in Curtin Sarawak’s School of Business and advisor to the Curtin Sarawak Accounting Club, commented that recognition of the university’s accounting programmes by accounting professional bodies like the MIA is crucial to maintaining the quality of the programmes.
“The recognition given proves our programmes are of international standard and that we are capable of producing highly competent graduates in the accounting field,” he remarked.
More information on the MIA can be obtained on its website at www.mia.org.my. For more information on Curtin Sarawak, visit its website at www.curtin.edu.my.
