Final Examinations

ARI wishes Good Luck and All the Best to all our undergraduate and post graduate students who will be sitting for their final examination this week.

Thank You Dinner

The Intellectual Discourse Committee of the UiTM Alumni Society organised a thank you dinner for the success of our recent Intellectual discourse with YABhg Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad. The dinner meeting was also used for a post-mortem discussion on the event as well planning for futurew events.

ISI & Scopus Publications

ARI and the Faculty of Accountancy are very proud to announce some recent publications by our members in journals and proceedings indexed by Scopus and ISI Thomson:
1. Prof Dr Rashidah Abdul Rahman
2. Dr Rashid Ameer
3. Assoc Prof Dr Norzaidi Daud
4. Ms Intan Salwani
5. Assoc Prof Dr Zuraidah Mohd Sanusi
6. Assoc Prof Dr Asmah Abd Aziz
7. Assoc Prof Dr Rozainun Abd Aziz
8. Dr Mohd Nizal Haniff
9. Assoc Prof Dr Huang Ching Choo
Congratulations to all of you.

The Making of Forensic Accountants

Yes, I personally think that they are very talented. First they need to identify real financial fraud cases in Malaysia. It was definitely not easy to complete the tasks. The course curriculum has adopted various teaching and learning techniques. These include lectures by professionals, simulation, case study writing and the use of latest technology for fraud investigation.
Then they need to obtain evidences to support their cases. In conducting their investigation, they must be able to link all the evidences, check the legal implications of the cases and present their cases to experts comprising professors, accountants and lawyers. Four financial fraud cases were successfully presented that day. ARI and the Faculty of Accountancy hope to publish these local cases in the form of books of readings.
This is part and parcel of the requirements that the final semester students from the Master in Forensic Accounting and Financial Criminology program have to fulfil.

Two Great Philantrophists for the Alumni Society

My deepest respect and appreciation to two great alumni who are heading the UiTM Alumni Society. Dato' Seri Mohd Zin Mohamad the President and Dato Mohd Shafee the Deputy President. Despite their busy schedules being businessmen themselves, they are both equally committed to lead the society. With the attitude of "Alumni pay back to UiTM", they have been instrumental in the society's success. Thanks to both of you.
Currently I am in two committees: Intellectual Discourse & Events and Research and Training. As a director to ARI, both portfolios would fit well with ARI's own activities. As such, ARI will plan and collaborate with the UiTM Alumni Society in its research, training and publication activities.

More Tax Incentives in the 2010 National Budget

I only managed to read today, the details of the National Budget announced yesterday by the Finance Minister cum Prime Minister YAB Dato' Seri Mohd Najib Tun Razak. There are numerous tax incentives available, among which the most prominent include the followings:
1. Personal tax relief of RM9,000 for individuals (an increase by RM1,000),
2. A reduction of max tax bracket from 27% in the previous years to 26% effective
year of assessment 2010
3. A broadband fee exemption of RM500 per year.

Module for SME Accounting Practitioners

ARI and the Persatuan Akauntan Bumipera are collaborating to develop a training module for the SME Accounting Practitioners. The Society's president and the head of the audit SIG assoc Prof Dr Zuraidah and their respective team members had a meeting today to discuss and finalise the module components. The training will commence either at the end of 2009 or early 2010.

Just Being Innovative....

The IID Exhibition organised by ARI and the faculty has attracted a lot of participations from students.
With a bit of mentoring, I am sure the products could be further enhanced and some do have commercial value in them. I hope they will work harder for the forthcoming IID 2010 to be held on 12-14 January 2010. Two groups of students participated in the event. The Bachelor of Accountancy students were supervised by Ms Intan Salwani and the Masters students were supervised by Associate Prof Dr Rozainun and Associate Professor Dr Zuraidah

Case Study on UEM?

Mr Ahmad Zakie Ahmad Shariff, the Director of Corporate Affairs, UEM Group Berhad made an open offer (or challenge?) at a management accounting conference today for interested scholars to write case studies of the conglomorate's various companies and projects. ARI members who are pursuing their higher degrees or those who are keen to write management accounting case studies, please discuss with ARI Director or the head of our CIMA-UiTM Asian Management Accounting Research Centre (AMARC)for details. We may need to strategise so that a good case study book can be written for the company. Interested anyone? Once we have a team, we will arrange to meet up with Mr Ahmad Zakie at UEM. But please hurry...

Pilot Research for IIM Members

Two of ARI's associates: Associate Professor Zaini Ahmad and Ms Hilwani conducted a pilot survey for their study entitled The Roles and Responsibilities of Internal Auditors in Detecting and Preventing Frauds. The research is a collaboration with the Institute of Internal Auditors. The pilot questionnaires were given to fifty internal auditors who were attending a national conference which was organised by IIM at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre.

Meeting Tun Mahathir and Tun Siti Hasmah

Meeting and talking to both of them in person - it was a moment in time for me. YABhg Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad was recently the guest of Honour for the intellectual discourse event organised by the UiTM Alumni Society in Putrajaya. The proverb that says Leaders are Readers is very true and an apt description for YABhg Tun Dr Mahathir.
Everyone was mesmerised by the high level of knowledge that he portrayed when he was discussing the topic related to the discourse. I particularly liked the way Tun Mahathir was responding to all the questions posed to him during the Q&A session. A true Statesman indeed...

Convocation 2009

It's our faculty's turn (today and tomorrow) for the students to receive their scrolls from the university's pro-chancellor. Congratulations to all our students (and their lecturers too) who obtained their PhD, Masters, Bachelors, Diploma and professional degrees. In the USA, convocation ceremony is called commencement. It is a day when everything commences -a new responsibility, a new job may be, a renewed dream. One has to work harder... what a concept!!!. Convocation should not just be a moment to celebrate because you have "achieved something". Instead, it is a day of realisation because your commitment should be further enhanced...

Alumni President's Hari Raya Open House

YB Dato' Seri Mohd Zin Mohamad, the president of the UiTM Alumni Society organized a Hari Raya open house at the Dewan Ar-Raha in section 7. It was really nice to have met old colleagues at the event. Dato' Zin had also requested that ARI conducts a research on the need to have better public transport system in this country. Perhaps ARI will collaborate with MITRANS in gathering the relevant data.

Congratulations Dr Zuraidah

Associate Professor Dr Zuraidah, one of ARI's research fellows has recently been appointed as a Deputy Dean for the Faculty of Accountancy. Congratulations. Despite your new work schedule, I do hope that you will continue to contribute to ARI and the university - in terms of research and publications.

Honorary Doctorate for Tun Musa Hitam...

He has refused numerous offers from local universities who were keen to honour him with the doctoral degree. In his speech after being awarded the honour by DYMM Seri Paduka Baginda Yang Di Pertuan Agong, Tun Musa recollected the days when he was asked by the late Tun Razak to work on the viability of building the proposed new ITM campus in Shah Alam. He remembered numerous challenges that he had to overcome, and that is why he felt that an award by UiTM is genuine and special and he just won't reject it. Tun Musa Hitam was today honoured by the University with an Honorary Doctorate in Government & Politics. Congratulations to Tun Musa Hitam

A Succesful Alumnus

Tuan Haji Mustaza was the guest of honour for our excellence award day today. The awards were to honour our students who did very well in their respective examinations this year.
Tuan Haji Mustaza gave a rousing talk on his experience as a poor student of ITM, a successful corporate figure of a large conglomorate, an unemployed adult when he lost his job due to the economic crisis that hit the country in 1986, a struggling enterprenuer when he tried to get out of the economic crisis and a successful business owner today. All in all, the students were told that they have to be good in whatever they are doing. But more importantly, they must have good values to survive all kind of "climatic changes" in their life. Perhaps ARI members who are keen, they can write books on Tuan Haji Mustaza's experiences...Any takers?

Producing Our Own "Money Tree" Kids....

After our meeting with CPA Australia and the Money Tree Sdn Berhad team, ARI and the Faculty hope to organize financial training programs for our own accountancy students. The Money Tree program teaches kids as young as twelve years old to be financially literate. The team had showcased two young students who are in the money tree team who are obviously confident and have good grip of soft skills.
Yes, may be we have students who are academically strong, but the money tree experience will give them some added value for them to become better individuals. We hope to organize the first money tree program towards the end of 2009.

UiTM Alumni Meeting with the President

The society's president, YB Dato Seri Mohd Zin had called for a meeting at his house in Section 7 Shah Alam to discuss development of the forthcoming Intellectual Discourse event in Putrajaya.

Examination Briefing by the Dean

A staff meeting was called this afternoon to brief all lecturers on new examination processes and procedures. This includes the introduction of new digital forms to record students' continuous assessments and final examination marks.

Judging the PECIPTA 2009 Exhibition

Together with a few other other lecturers from UiTM: Prof Abu Bakar, Prof Sazali, Assoc Prof Dr Hanafiah, I was also appointed as a judge for the PECIPTA 2009 held at the KLCC from 8-10 October 2009.
The judging took place on 8th October. All in all, there were more than four hundred products/exhibits. UiTM brought the largest contingent with 59 products for the exhibition.

Good Luck to ARI's PMR Kids

Good luck to all ARI Members' kids who are sitting for their PMR examination today. All the best to Addin, Amira, Amir, Imad, Syed, Arif, Mamat and many others...