Rising Beyond Borders: TAR UMT Triumphs at Deloitte SEA Tax Challenge 2026

When the stakes rose to the Southeast Asian stage, two TAR UMT talents proved they were more than ready. Representing Malaysia at the prestigious Deloitte Southeast Asia Tax Challenge 2026 on 22 – 23 January 2026, Ng Yew Sheng and Koh Ching Nghi of the Bachelor of Commerce (Hons) programme delivered an outstanding performance, clinching Champion in the Team category. Yew Sheng also emerged as the First Runner-Up in the Individual Category.

The Malaysian team, which competed in the Team category, comprised Yew Sheng, Ching Nghi, Hiew Gigg from the University of Wollongong, and Joshua from Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman. As all of them were the Best Presenters of the team category at the national level, thus they were selected to represent the country at the regional level. In both the Individual and Team categories, participants were given 90 minutes to prepare for a written assessment and an oral presentation.

From left: Mr Lim, Joshua, Hiew Gigg, Yew Sheng, Ching Nghi, Ms Suzzanne Poh Shuh Chen, Lecturer cum Advisor, TAR UMT, and Mr Chew.

Yew Sheng who completed his secondary education at Wesley Methodist School Kuala Lumpur (International), shared that one of his most memorable moments came after a shaky start during his presentation for the Individual category. “There were unexpected disruptions at the beginning of my presentation, and I was honestly a bit nervous because it threw off my momentum. Afterwards, one of the judges told me that although I seemed slightly unsettled at first, I managed to bounce back quickly and finish strongly. That meant a lot to me. It reminded me that it’s normal to feel nervous, especially at the regional level, and what matters most is how you respond in the moment.”

“Time management was one of my biggest challenges,” Yew Sheng continued. “I made it a goal to complete the written assessment within 30 minutes so I could focus on preparing for the presentation. The case was complex, particularly on global tax issues like transfer pricing. Instead of rushing, I broke the question into smaller parts, and that gave me clarity. Competing in both categories was mentally tiring, but I kept reminding myself this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”

As for Ching Nghi, who studied in Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Infant Jesus Convent, she mentioned: “Yew Sheng and I first met Hiew Gigg and Joshua through other competitions a few years ago. We kept in touch, and through our correspondence, we got to know each other better.  As we were from different universities, we met frequently via Google Meet, while also making time to meet in person over meals to strengthen our teamwork and build rapport. All these helped us to learn of each other’s strengths before we began strategising our presentation and defining the scope of international issues to be covered,” she said.

She continued, “We were competing against participants who were the best from their respective countries. The panel of judges comprised Partners from various countries, and we presented in front of international teams and trainers. The training we received from Deloitte’s tax team, namely Mr Chew Chen Wah, Senior Manager of International Tax, who is also a TAR UMT alumnus, and Mr Lim Chin Keat, Senior Manager of Transfer Pricing, were very helpful as they were far more technical and application-based, helping us to further strengthen our analytical and critical thinking skills.”