14 May 2010

Accounting Quest 2010 Competition

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After months of preparation and hard work, the quest for the 21st century accountants came to an exciting end on May 8 at Sunway University College, Bandar Sunway, when Sek. Men. Keb. (P) Sri Aman, Selangor, emerged the champion.

Gleeful screams greeted the announcement of their win as Amiera bt Zulkarnain, Fong Weng Yee and Iman Izni binti Ezzat Chan hugged each other on stage celebrating the rewarding conclusion to their long arduous journey.


As champions, the girls were recipients of full scholarships from Sunway University College to pursue a foundation programme continuing into an undergraduate degree in accounting, and the opportunity to be mentored by KPMG, one of the prestigious Big 4 accounting firms, in their final year of studies. Upon graduation, with all conditions fulfilled, they will also be offered a job by KPMG. Each of the champions walked away with RM1000 cash prize and individual trophy, along with RM500 cash prize and a Challenge Trophy for their school.

Launched in April, the inaugural Accounting Quest 2010 is a gruelling competition divided into five stages. It was opened to all secondary school students of Form 4 and 5 in Peninsula Malaysia. 138 schools from 6 regions took part with the top 21 teams (three from each region with the exception of six from Selangor-Kuala Lumpur) making it into the finals.

This competition aimed to unearth well-rounded students who have the qualities to be groomed into a progressive 21st century accountant.

The much anticipated finals started with Stage 3 where each team was drilled on their knowledge of the accounting subject. Enthusiastic supporters in the audience were also spotted trying to solve the problems. Eight teams with the highest scores proceeded to Stage 4.

Stage 4 presented a different challenge to the participants. In line with the idea that the modern accountant not only crunch numbers but also possesses good business acumens and the ability to interact with investors, each team was required to make a 3-minute PowerPoint presentation of their Stage 2 project.


Ranging from beverage manufacturers like F&N to conglomerates like Sime Darby, the teams made in-depth analyses of the performance of their chosen companies and attempted to convince the judges to invest in them. After each presentation, the teams were questioned on their choices and recommendations, along with their personal views on a broad range of subjects including the cause of the 2008 banking crisis, description of what a 21st century accountant should be and what are the implications of governments aiding banks in this crisis.

The panel of judges, made up of Dr. Foo Yin Fah (Head of Sunway University College School of Business), Audrey Danasamy (General Manager - Malaysia of CPA Australia), Lee Yee Keng (Audit Partner with KPMG) and Adrian Lee (Audit Partner with KPMG representing ICAEW), assessed each team based on the content of their projects, eloquence and public speaking skills.

Five teams made it into Stage 5 as the competition was raised another notch in the final speedy buzzer round where teams had to prove their smarts on general knowledge and the ability to listen to instructions. All the teams who made it this far were consistent performers since Stage 1 itself.

In the end, as all the points from every stage were tallied, SMK (P) Sri Aman had a slight edge as they performed very well during the buzzer round.

The Accounting Quest 2010 is organised by Sunway University College in partnership with the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW) and CPA Australia, along with the main sponsor, KPMG.

Congratulations to the champions and all the other teams who also did a tremendous job in the Accounting Quest 2010.

The full list of winners:

Champion

SMK (P) Sri Aman, Selangor

Amiera bt Zulkarnain, Foon Weng Yee, Iman Izni binti Ezzat Chan


1st Runner-Up

SMK Damansara Jaya (Team B)

Marc Choong Guong Nam, Lim Wen Li, Koh Hui Yin


2nd Runner-Up

SMK Damansara Jaya (Team A)

Tia Tzyy Yee, Lee Yi Zhen, Kang Chan Keat

Consolation

SMK Infant Jesus Convent, Johor

Chiew Yilynn, Low Hui Yi, Elyssa Chan Ern-Mei


ELC International School, Kuala Lumpur

Beechey Julian Charles, Khubchandani Mihir Salim, Sarah Lim Yan Yi


Stage 4 Consolation

SMK Taman Melawati, Selangor

Kaif Hilman bin Muhammad Borhan Tan, Ong Jer Rick, Chua Wang Jheng


SMJK (P) Cina, Penang

Lon Chin Ling, Ooi Kiesha, Tan Pei Ying


SMK (P) Methodist, Penang

Andria Ooi Ching Mei, Lim Lean Na, Shirley Leong Yan Yan