AABA

MALAYSIANS PREPARE TO PUSH OUT ACCA

The control freaks running the ACCA don't bother telling memebrs anything about matters which have serious consequences for the furture of the ACCA. The press clipping below shows that moves are afoot to unite the Malaysian accountancy bodies. This move will also coincide with changes in Malaysian legislation which will withdraw statutory recognition for ACCA.

The Malaysian Institute of Accountants (MIA) is already reducing its reliance upon ACCA and from 2001 it will be setting its own exam papers.

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From the Star Newspaper in Malaysia
Thursday, July 22, 1999

                         JOHOR BARU: The Malaysian Institute of Accountants (MIA) is
              proposing that all members be known as chartered accountants to
              unify the profession and enhance the standing of local qualifications.

              Its president Datuk Hanifah Noordin said that using one
              qualification would facilitate the international marketing of the
              profession under the framework of the World Trade Organisation
              (WTO).

              He said there was no impediment in designating local accountants
              as "chartered accountants" as the Royal Charter was only a form of
              incorporation.

In line with the proposal, a professional MIA examination based on
international syllabus would be conducted.

              "By having our own examination, we will have to benchmark the
              qualification against foreign qualifications, especially with the
              pressure for further liberalisation of trade and services under the
              WTO framework," Hanifah said in an interview.

              MIA southern branch chairman Tony Seah said that 12,800
              members, all of whom were graduates of the Malaysian
              Association of Certified Public Accountants (MACPA) and 10
              foreign professional bodies, were eligible to use the chartered
              accountant designation once the proposal was adopted.

              The MIA is on a nationwide tour to explain to members the need for
              a single class of accountants to unify the present three
              categories--Public Accountants, Registered Accountants and
              Licensed Accountants.

              Other questions facing members are whether the present
              accountancy syllabus conducted by institutions of higher learning
              should be maintained and the relevancy and duration of practical
              experience to obtain full qualification.

              Hanifah said there were several qualification titles such as
              Certified General Accountants and Certified Practising
              Accountants which were not recognised in countries such as
              Canada and Australia.

              He said the MIA would introduce the Accounting Technician
              examination based on a global accounting curriculum issued by the
              United Nations Conference on Trade and Development on
              International Standards of Accounting and Reporting.

              He said a committee formed by Universiti Putra Malaysia
              Vice-Chancellor Tan Sri Prof Dr Syed Jallaludin Syed Salim would
              look into the development of the syllabus and content for the
              examination.

He said that assistance had been sought from foreign accountancy
consultants to develop the examination.