‘Bumiputera participation in profession at low 8pc’
BUMIPUTERA make up only eight per cent, or 1,687, of the total 20,146 professionallyqualified accountants in the country, said the Malaysian Institute of Accountants (MIA).
Malaysia Professional Accountancy Centre (MyPac) chairman and former MIA vice-president Datuk Zaiton Mohd Hassan said MIA had targeted to increase the number to 30 per cent by 2030.
“Bumiputera make up about 70 per cent of the total population in Malaysia. Obviously, there is something wrong somewhere. Their participation in professional accountancy is very low,” she told NST Business recently.
Zaiton said MIA had highlighted the issue in 2014.
“Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak had approved the setting up of MyPac as a catalyst (to assist Bumiputera individuals in obtaining professional accountancy qualifications).
“MyPac also works very closely with Yayasan Peneraju Pendidikan Bumiputera to address the concern.”
Zaiton was MIA vice-president from July 22 2013 until Saturday.
She said MyPac started its programme in early 2015, with the first batch of students enrolled in August the same year.
“So far, we have produced 59 graduates of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) and we have 1,500 students in various stages of ACCA at our training service provider centre.”
MyPac works with international technical partners, higher learning institutions, training service providers, professional bodies, schools, industries as well as agencies, to develop comprehensive programmes that nurture candidates through each stage of the journey of becoming a professional accountant.
The biggest training service provider is the International Professional Accountancy Centre at Universiti Teknologi Mara.
“If you want to produce in a big way, you need a specialised centre. MyPac is specialised training centre,” said Zaiton.
She said there were three main hindrances to Bumiputera participation in the accountancy sector — high cost, difficult examinations and level of awareness. She said Bumiputera students could now leverage on MyPac programmes to pursue accountancy.
MIA president Datuk Mohammad Faiz Azmi said the government had organised various programmes through Yayasan Peneraju to promote the growth of Bumiputera accountants.
“We already got one of the zakat (tithe) authorities to recognise MyPac as a centre that allows zakat money to be used for the funding of students.”
MIA said it would tap resources not only from zakat centres but also from individuals for MyPac, for the benefit of those who could not afford to go to universities.