‘Nation needs 60,000 accountants by 2020’

KUCHING: The nation would need around 60,000 accountants by 2020 due to high demand, regardless of the state of the economy.

CHAMPION: Lim (second left), Yong (third left) and others with the champion team led by their teacher Goh Su Jin (fourth left) after receiving their trophies.

Deputy Minister of Works Datuk Yong Khoon Seng revealed that currently the nation had less than half of that figure and that the demand for accountants was likely to increase by at least three folds in high-income economies like those of China and India which had double-digit growth rates.

He, therefore, urged parents to encourage their children to choose accountancy as their career.

“Accountancy is a recession-proof profession that will always be in high demand, regardless of the state of the economy. Graduates can work in any industry or sector.

“They can expect excellent remuneration and career progression. The work they do is intellectually demanding and interesting, and they can make a difference to the organisation that employs them,” he said when closing the ‘ACCA-Sunway TES Accounting Challenge 2010’ here yesterday.

The current economic downturn has led many parents to look for affordable, high quality education that can be completed locally.

As such, Yong said the Certified Accounting Technician (CAT) course offered students the fastest and most cost-effective route to becoming a chartered certified accountant.

He said a school leaver could complete the entire CAT and ACCA programmes at Sunway College Kuching for under RM40,000.

“Over the last few years, Sunway College Kuching has earned wide acclaim as a trusted provider of the CAT and ACCA programmes.

“It is reassuring to hear that Sunway Kuching receives strong support from Sunway TES, the only platinum tuition provider in Malaysia,” he said.

Earlier, chief executive officer of Kolej Sunway Kuching Joseph Lim said the Accounting Challenge 2010 was a nationwide accounting quiz competition held for all Chinese Independent Schools in the country, and opened to all students in their senior middle two and three.

Jointly held by the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) Malaysia and Sunway TES Group of Colleges, 2,697 students from 34 schools throughout the country competed in round one of the competition earlier this month.

This included 2,043 students from Peninsular Malaysia and 654 students from East Malaysia.

Yesterday, 11 East Malaysian schools took part in the second round of the challenge, of which six proceeded to the semi-final stage.

Sabah Tshung Tshin Secondary School (Kota Kinabalu) emerged champion, while Kian Kok Middle School (also from Kota Kinabalu), and Sabah Chinese High School (Tawau) won second and third placings respectively.

Lim said the champion would represent East Malaysia in the final round at Sunway University College, Petaling Jaya on July 24.

“Next week, 20 teams from Peninsular Malaysia will compete in their second round and semi-final, to determine a winner who will then challenge our team (Sabah Tshung Tshin Secondary School) for the grand prize or scholarships worth more than RM50,000 to pursue ACCA programmes,” he said.