Prodigious talent: Hao Loong is one of the youngest students in the world to have obtained the Pearson LCCI Level 1 Certificate in Bookkeeping.
MOST students study accounting as an elective subject in upper secondary school. Not Yee Hao Loong, a young member of the Malaysian Mensa Society comprising individuals whose intelligence quotient (IQ) is in the top 2% of the population.
At just 12 years old, the Selangorian can lay claim to not only having studied the subject, but also being one of the youngest students in the world to have obtained the Pearson LCCI Level 1 Certificate in Bookkeeping – a certificate intended for learners aged 16 and above.
It was an achievement he managed to score – with merit – when he was only 11 years old.
Describing accounting as “the language of business”, Hao Loong said what motivated him to pursue the certification was his parents.
“Both my parents are chartered accountants and they run their own businesses. They are my role models,” he told StarEdu.
“The preparation of financial statements especially fascinates me, as it assists in the interpretation of financial results and the positions of companies,” he added.
As part of his preparations for the examination, Hao Loong shared that he had pored over numerous past year questions.
“The main challenge was understanding how to apply the accounting concepts and rules in the real world,” he said, adding that thanks to his father’s guidance, he was better able to solve the accounting questions.
As a national chess player, his experience with chess matches that could sometimes stretch up to four hours had also helped prepare him for the three-hour examination, said Hao Loong, who is working towards obtaining the LCCI Level 2 Certificate in Bookkeeping and Accounting.
For the chess aficionado, competing in an average of 30 chess tournaments a year has been the norm ever since he was eight years old.
“My dad taught me how to play chess when I was five-and-a-half years old. I began to compete in chess tournaments at the age of seven, and was crowned the champion in the Under-Seven category at a youth chess festival held in conjunction with Hari Sukan Negara in the same year,” he recalled.
To date, he has notched up a string of achievements as a chess player, which included placing first in the Under-Nine category at the 36th National Age-Group Chess Championships 2019 in Singapore, being awarded the Arena International Master title by the World Chess Federation in 2020 for his performance in the international chess scene, and clinching the second prize in the Under-12 category at the National Youth Chess Championship 2022.
“My parents play a big role in my success. They give me support and guidance. My dad, especially, always accompanies and motivates me during chess tournaments,” he said.
With the LCCI, chess tournaments and studies to contend with, the Year Eight pupil who had won a sports scholarship to study at REAL International School in Shah Alam, Selangor, shared that his life is a constant juggling act.
“My priority is still academics. On weekdays after school, I complete all of my homework and projects before doing my revisions and playing online chess for an hour or two in the evenings.
“On weekends, I spend more time on studying chess and preparing for the LCCI,” he said.
Once a year, Hao Loong finds time to conduct chess lessons for orphans and deserving students for free through a non-profit organisation that he and his father formed in 2017.
“It feels great to be able to contribute to the community and promote the benefits of chess to other children,” he enthused.
Hao Loong, who aspires to become an information technology (IT) entrepreneur, shared that computer science is his favourite school subject.
“I carry out school projects such as creating videos and websites, and I’ve been learning Python, a high-level programming language.
“I believe the knowledge that comes with playing chess is closely related to computer programming, artificial intelligence, machines and other IT applications.
“With my LCCI accounting and business background, I believe I could be a better entrepreneur by learning in depth about finance, as well,” he said.
To students aiming to do well, Hao Loong had this to say: “Believe in yourself, focus on your goals and go for it without overthinking.”
Li Lian, 17, a student in Kuala Lumpur, is a participant of the BRATs Young Journalist Programme run by The Star’s Newspaper-in-Education (Star-NiE) team. To join Star-NiE’s online youth community, go to facebook.com/niebrats.
