Few Bumiputera students take accounting

• Bumiputera make up 29 per cent  or 8,526 of the 29,400 accountants registered at the Malaysian Institute of Accountants (MIA), the body that regulates and develops accountancy profession in Malaysia. Sixty-three per cent or 18,522 of MIA's total members come from other channels of which 8 per cent or about 1,481 are Bumiputera.

Concerned about students' lack of interest in accounting, MIA president Datuk Mohd Nasir Ahmad observes that students find accounting 'intimidating' when in fact the course requires basic numeracy skills.

"There is no need to take additional maths for this course," he said during the New Straits Times Career Talk held at the Women's Institute of Management last Saturday.

"Having basic math skills is enough. To be an accountant you also need to have a analytical mind, the ability to think critically as well as the ability to communicate effectively."

Other  attributes he cited as crucial to accountancy include having a strong sense of ethics and integrity.

He added that by 2020, Malaysia will need 40,000 accountants to support and sustain business needs.

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