Hajar Nadhirah binti Onn of Sunway TES was announced today as the winner of the EY Young Tax Professional of the Year (YTPY) 2021 Malaysia at a virtual event graced by Dato' Sri Dr. Sabin Samitah, Chief Executive Officer/ Director General of Lembaga Hasil Dalam Negeri Malaysia (LHDNM).
Hajar Nadhirah, 21, who is pursuing her Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) professional qualification in Sunway TES, will represent Malaysia at the EY Young Tax Professional of the Year international final, where she will compete against winners from over 30 countries for the title of “EY Young Tax Professional of the Year 2021”. As the winner of the EY YTPY 2021 Malaysia, Hajar also takes home a cash prize of RM 8,000 and secures a paid internship of no less than eight weeks or a conditional offer of employment with the EY member firm in Malaysia.
“I’m still in a state of shock as I didn’t expect to win! I am so grateful to everyone from Sunway for the guidance, and to EY for the kind support shown to all the participants throughout the competition,” shared Hajar.
To fellow students who are considering participating in the EY YTPY programme next year, Hajar added, “I know how it is to feel under-qualified. But do not discount yourself just because you did not top your class for tax in general. It all comes down to the research in relation to the case study. Give yourself the opportunity to try this and believe in yourself!”
The first runner-up is Tan Wei-Hoong (陈崴鸿), 20, who is pursuing his Bachelor of Commerce in Tunku Abdul Rahman University College (TARUC). Wei-Hoong will receive a cash prize of RM 6,000 and a paid internship or conditional offer of employment as well.
Nur Aliah binti Shamsuddin, who is pursuing her ACCA professional qualification in Sunway College (Sunway TES), was named second runner-up. She will receive a cash prize of RM 3,000 and also a paid internship or conditional offer of employment with the EY member firm in Malaysia.
In his address, Dato' Sri Dr. Sabin said, “Through our close collaboration with EY, we have had many opportunities and touch points to promote tax awareness, understanding and knowledge; engage with our youth; and expose them to the rewarding career opportunities in the tax field. More importantly, the EY YTPY programme helps us achieve our shared objectives of cultivating and building future-focused tax competencies among our young talent.
“In today’s highly volatile and challenging business landscape, we need to continue the momentum of building and enhancing our national workforce talent and capabilities to support the nation’s recovery and growth, and to remain competitive and resilient. LHDNM is committed to continuing to support our undergraduates through this programme and help expand their skills to the next level.”
Amarjeet Singh, EY Asean Tax Leader and Malaysia Tax Leader, Ernst & Young Tax Consultants Sdn. Bhd said, “The tax profession has evolved significantly over the years and continues to do so in line with technological advancement and innovation. With the COVID-19 pandemic impacting our day-to-day lives and economies around the world, governments and businesses continue to look to Tax professionals as trusted advisors for strategic, viable solutions. And that is exactly the purpose of the EY YTPY program which was launched in Malaysia in 2013 - to help build better opportunities for our younger generation to explore and discover their potential in tax.
The success of the program over the nine years is testament to the close collaboration between EY, LHDNM and institutions of higher learning in our aligned objectives to help ensure the growth and development of the tax profession and industry in Malaysia.”
Farah Rosley, Partner and Malaysia Tax Markets Leader, Ernst & Young Tax Consultants Sdn Bhd echoed, “Future tax professionals need to be agile and possess the right knowledge and skills to stay ahead of the fast-changing and dynamic business landscape. The EY YTPY program is tailored to encourage participants to step out of their comfort zones and strengthen their technical and inter-personal skills by applying critical thinking, business acumen and tax knowledge to real issues faced by businesses around the world today. The program also provides the opportunity for our young graduates to network with and learn from business leaders and tax professionals. This experience will help build their appreciation of the role of a tax professional in tackling complex business challenges and finding approaches to help businesses grow and economies thrive.”
Hisham Halim, Partner, Ernst & Young Tax Consultants Sdn Bhd and Programme Director of the EY Young Tax Professional of the Year Malaysia, shared, “This year, we continued to see high-quality submissions from the participants, and we heard some amazing ideas and saw great potential. Our Malaysian panel of judges, comprising a representative from LHDNM and two partners from Ernst & Young Tax Consultants Sdn Bhd, were impressed by the participants’ responses to the case study and the high standard of presentations by all the 10 Malaysian finalists, despite having to do it virtually. We have no doubt that Hajar Nadhirah will do Malaysia proud at the international competition.”
“Indeed, the international competition will take the challenge a notch higher as the country winners from over 30 countries will be competing for the title. These winners will be challenged with case studies and interviews before expert judges, who will be looking for evidence of creative and analytical strengths, as well as practical skills,” added Hisham.
The international EY YTPY 2021 competition is expected to kick off virtually in November 2021 and will feature learning, case study presentations and networking sessions. Following this, the top three winners of the EY Young Tax Professional of the Year 2021 will be announced at an award ceremony to be held in January 2022.
For more information about the EY Young Tax Professional of the Year, visit ey.com/my/ytpy
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