MAICSA Talk

FAM Dean Dr Sia Bee Chuan presenting a token of appreciation to Chan

UTAR students were given insights on corporate secretaryship and administration in a talk at the Sungai Long Campus on 14 June 2016. The talk was organised by the Faculty of Accountancy and Management (FAM) and presented by Malaysian Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators (MAICSA) Chief Executive YC Chan and MAICSA Council Member Nandita Choudhury.

Chan emphasised the importance of professional qualifications in the corporate world and the necessity of improving students’ qualifications. She said, “Extra qualifications make graduates outstanding in the market. Graduates with higher qualifications such as master’s or professional qualifications tend to find jobs easier. There is a record that there are 0% of unemployed graduates from MAICSA.”

Chan elaborated that MAICSA membership can be transferred worldwide through the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators (ICSA) authority body easily and that members do not need to worry about membership not being recognised while working overseas.

Nandita shared her personal working experience during the talk. She highlighted the differences between Chartered Secretaries and clerks. The job of Chartered Secretaries is not to brew coffee for directors or to do all kinds of photocopying. It is a position that instead gains one respect and higher value in the organization as it requires in-depth understanding of corporate law, taxation, corporate governance, and many more to deal with daily governance.

Dr Sia presenting a souvenir to Nandita

Nandita advised the students on improving their standard of language, especially English as it is the most important language in the corporate world. She remarked, “Life is a continuous learning process. We should always learn new things and upgrade ourselves.”

Chan said she was looking forward for more collaboration with UTAR, including in leadership camps, debate competitions, and company visits. Chan added, “Communication is an essential skill in the corporate world. English is the language of business, although we still use Bahasa Malaysia in government-related sectors. So, students should master English confidently, both written and spoken.”

The Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators (ICSA) operates in more than 70 countries and has more than 35,000 members worldwide. MAICSA was founded in 1959 and membership is limited to members, graduates, students, and affiliates of the institute residing in Malaysia.