KUALA LUMPUR, 20 December 2010 – The Malaysian Institute of Accountants (MIA) hosted a graduation ceremony today in honour of 32 candidates who successfully passed the MIA Qualifying Examination (MIA QE) in the March and September 2010 sittings.
A number of 18 candidates were also awarded Certificates of Achievement for having passed various papers of the QE with distinction. Held at the SSM Auditorium, the QE graduation ceremony was the second organised by MIA.
The first, which was held in December 2009, saw 17 candidates successfully passing the MIA QE in the September 2009 sitting. Of that, nine candidates were awarded Certificates of Achievement for passing various papers with distinction.
The MIA QE was introduced as an alternative qualifying route for students whose qualifications are not recognised under the Accountants Act 1967 but recognised by the Public Services Department or MIA, i.e. graduates from overseas, twinning programmes or 3+0 programmes. Potential candidates must possess at least a degree in accounting, business or finance with a minimum of 60 per cent accounting content.
By passing the QE, the graduates are now eligible to join the fraternity of professional accountants and become chartered accountants of the MIA.
As members of the MIA, the graduates are bound by its By-Laws (On Professional Ethics, Conduct & Practice) which are substantially based on the International Federation of Accountants’ (IFAC) Code of Ethics of which the Institute is a member organisation.
Any offences or breaches committed pursuant to the relevant By-Laws will be dealt with according to the Rules. These By-Laws may, from time to time be amended to maintain its relevance and it is the responsibility of members to update themselves, and ensure that they understand, comprehend and implement the requirements in the By-Laws.
Vice President of MIA, Christina Foo told the graduates that basic human values of honesty, integrity and trust are key ingredients to success.
“The recent financial crisis in the West demonstrated how closely and intricately linked the whole world is today. It also showed that a breakdown or absence of basic human values led to the financial crisis. Many have been questioned the role accountants play or could have played,” she said in her speech at the graduation ceremony. .
Christina also said that as members of the MIA, the graduates, with their accomplishment and knowledge as professional accountants are in position of leadership and influence. “By the code of ethics of which all professional accountants are bound by, I ask that you embrace your leadership responsibilities and not be afraid to stand strong and tall when your values are being questioned and threatened,” she said.
She reminded the graduates to find a balance in both the corporate and human governance aspects of the organisations in which they serve. “Only then will you be able to truly claim to be world–class professional accountants as envisioned by the Institute,” she added.
She also said that in accordance to the International Federation of Accountants
(IFAC) International Education Standard (IES) 5, Practical Experience
Requirements, MIA has introduced the Chartered Accountant’s Relevant Experience or CARE on 1 November 2009.
CARE is in place to ensure the experiences gained by accounting graduates, who aspire to join the Institute membership, are appropriate, practical and relevant. It permits them to demonstrate that they have acquired the professional knowledge, professional skills, and professional values, ethics and attitudes required for performing their work with professional competence and for continued growth throughout their careers.
The MIA QE graduates with MIA Vice President Christina Foo and MIA Chief Executive Officer Rosli Abdullah.
