Triumphant: The two teams celebrating their achievements with Phuah (fourth from right) and supporters after the award ceremony.
PRECISION is highly vaunted in the world of accounting and finance.
For six students who recently achieved success at an intercollegiate contest, they earned not only bragging rights for their precision but also for their speed and teamwork.
Tested in areas such as financial accounting, management accounting, taxation, audit and assurance, and financial reporting, the two teams from the Asia Pacific University of Technology & Innovation (APU) proved they were a cut above their peers in the Junior category – comprising Year One and Year Two students – at the Accounting Quizard 2025.
Out of 13 participating teams, they secured the highest scores, advancing to the final round and ultimately clinching the top two prizes.
In both the preliminary and final rounds, the contenders – teams of three from local institutions, including Universiti Putra Malaysia, Universiti Utara Malaysia, Monash University Malaysia, Raffles University of Johor, and Tunku Abdul Rahman University of Management and Technology – battled it out in rigorous written quizzes.
The first prize in the Junior event, organised on Feb 22 by the Accounting Society of Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (UTAR) and sponsored by international accounting firm Grant Thornton, was awarded to Siew Mei Hsia (team lead), Fion Lai Jin Yu and Wendy Loh Jing Wen. All three are pursuing a Bachelor of Accounting and Finance (Honours) with a specialism in Accounting Technology. They took home a cash prize of RM500.
“We prepared by revising the quiz scope published beforehand, starting with the basics and gradually tackling more challenging questions. We are incredibly proud that we won,” said Siew in a press release.
The second prize, comprising an RM400 cash prize, went to Nikhil Vijay, Muhammad Umair Moniaruth (team lead) and Rachel Kong Syn Yue.
Nikhil is pursuing a Bachelor of Accounting and Finance (Honours) with a specialism in Accounting Technology, Muhammad Umair a Bachelor of Accounting and Finance (Honours), and Kong a Bachelor of Accounting and Finance (Honours) with a specialism in Forex and Investments.
“The guidance and support from our lecturers played a crucial role in our success.
“This achievement has reinforced my passion for accounting and finance. I am grateful to APU, our dedicated lecturers and my teammates for making this experience both enriching and rewarding,” said Muhammad Umair.
APU School of Accounting & Finance (SoAF) senior lecturer Phuah Eng Sze, who guided the winners as well as six other participating students, commended their dedication and perseverance.
“Beyond developing technical knowledge, analytical skills and professional competencies in the classroom, these students dared to test themselves on a broader stage. Competitions like this offer a practical way to assess their abilities and discover areas for improvement,” she said.
SoAF head Assoc Prof Dr Chong Lee Lee also emphasised the importance of experiential learning.
“At APU, we prioritise real-world exposure beyond classroom training. Competing against students from other universities serves as an excellent benchmark for our students to measure their capabilities and gain insights into their future professional journeys. This is undoubtedly the best way to bridge the gap between academia and industry,” she said.
