5th CPA Passport Undergraduate Business Conference

The CPA Passport 5^th Undergraduate Business Conference – Kick Start Your Career, was successfully held on 22 September 2007 (Saturday) at Sunway University College. The conference recorded an attendance of approximately 200 participants from different universities and colleges. The aim of this conference was to provide students with the knowledge and skills needed to prepare for a career in the field of accounting.

Opening ceremony. (from left) Ms. Elizabeth Lee, Encik Rusman Amir Zaihan


Audience of the conference

The event started at 9.00am with a welcome message by the Deputy President of CPA Australia Malaysia Division, En. Rusman Amir Zaihan. This was followed by a speech from Ms. Elizabeth Lee, the Executive Director of Sunway University College. En. Rusman and Ms. Lee then officially opened the undergraduate business conference. A dance performance by a group from Sunway University College completed the opening ceremony.

Mr. Daniel Liew, who gave the talk of communication skills to audiences

The first session of the conference, “Communicate with Power and Confidence”, was presented by Mr. Daniel Liew. He shared the ten commandments of communicating with power and confidence. He also provided examples of how a person should communicate effectively. Mr. Liew’s humour and confidence inspired the audience. Morning tea was served in the cafeteria after this session.


Shelia Wong (second from right) was demonstrating the professional grooming to audiences

The next session, “Professional Grooming for Success”, was facilitated by Ms. Sheila Wong. She provided the participants with tips on how they should package their image with good grooming sense. Ms. Wong also taught the participants how to present a professional image with demonstrations by a few volunteers from the audience.

The speaker panel of the accounting profession. (from left) Raymond Cheong, Terence Tan Chee Sze, Mustafha Haji Abdul Razak

This was followed by a panel discussion on “The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly of the Accounting Profession”. The panel comprised Mr. Raymond Cheong, En. Mustafa Haji Abdul Razak and Mr. Terence Tan Chee Sze. The panel members shared their experiences of working in the accounting profession with the audience. Lunch was then served at the cafeteria.

Participants enjoying their lunch


The performance which presented by The Stompers

The afternoon session began with a fantastic performance by The Stompers. The group played music using household items such as pails, bottles, and a ladder. The performance included participation by members of the audience including the advisor of the Sunway CPA Student Charter, Mr. Foo Yin Fah. Everyone enjoyed the fun performance.

Samiaa from JobStreet.com was presenting the job interview and resume skills

The final presentation after The Stompers’ performance was by Ms. Samiaa Retra Pillai from JobStreet.com. Ms. Pillai provided an overview of JobStreet.com and the current job market. Most importantly, she also provided tips on attending interviews and resume writing. This session included a video presentation of what should and should not be done during an interview. The conference ended at 4.00pm.

Audience's Response

“This was the first time he has attended this conference. He was satisfied with the conference as it has met his expectations of obtaining some tips on how to get an edge when hunting for his first job. Ying Howe found the session on professional grooming for success to be the best. This was because the interactive activities conducted by the speaker had caught his attention. He hoped that future conferences can bring more employers to talk about specific business industries, employment trends, and expectations of employers. This can provide students with a better understanding about the culture and trends in the workplace.”
Ho Ying Howe (Monash University (Malaysia Campus), Bachelor of Business and Commerce majoring in Accounting/ Banking & Finance, 2nd year student)

“This was also the first time she has attended this conference. Yeh Ling found the conference helpful in her personal development as well as her preparation for future job hunting. She also found the sharing of working experiences by the accountants useful. The practical and informative sessions have met her expectations. The best part of the conference for her was also the professional grooming session. She found the session very useful as many people were not aware that colours do indicate one’s personality. In future conferences, Yeh Ling hoped to see more coverage of topics concerning the real life experiences of accountants. This would be useful for students to understand the reality of the accounting profession rather than listening rumours and myths.”
Wee Yeh Ling (Monash University (Malaysia Campus), Bachelor of Business and Commerce majoring in Accounting/ Banking & Finance, 2nd year student)

“She attended this conference for the first time. Generally, the conference met her expectations. However, some sessions were too long and boring such as the panel session on The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly of the Accounting Profession. She expected a longer Q&A session. Diana also found the session on professional grooming the best of the conference. This was because the session was interactive, fun and beneficial. Diana hoped that in future conferences, there would be more coverage of interview and resume writing skills.”
Diana Lim Yar Sze (Victoria University (Sunway Campus), Bachelor of Business, 2nd year student)

“Meyke is also a second year Bachelor of Business student from Victoria University. This was also the first time she has attended this conference. According to Meyke, the conference has met her expectations of learning more about career opportunities in the field of accounting and acquiring relevant job seeking skills. The best session for her was the JobStreet session with the interesting video on interview skills. She would like to see more grooming and interview technique sessions in future conferences. There should also be more information about internship and career opportunities in the accounting firm.”
Meyke Sharen (Victoria University (Sunway Campus), Bachelor of Business, 2nd year student)