Yesterday morning, in the middle of January peak season, more than 150 accountants still chose to show up for the MIA Members Update and Networking session.

By 9am, the room was already full.

That itself says a lot about this profession.

First, a sincere thank you.

Kudos to MIA, especially MIA Southern Chairman Mr Wen Tak Wong, for organising a session that was not just formal, but genuinely useful and meaningful.

The room was full. First time in the history of MIA in JB.

The energy was good.
People were not just listening. They were talking, asking, sharing, and reconnecting.

It was good to see familiar old faces again.
It was also nice to see many new and young faces in the room.

The technical update by Mr Simon Tay Pit Eu and Ms Rasmimi Ramli was, as usual, sharp and practical, covering audit, accounting, AMLA, and other current issues.

Straight to the point. No fluff.
Just the kind of updates practitioners really need to stay compliant and relevant.

It was also good to see the new President and CEO of MIA in person, both taking the stage and setting the tone for the year ahead.

MIA President, Puan Saniza Said, spoke about what really matters on the ground, quality, practice review, member training and development, and technology.

Proud to say,
She is the first female President of MIA.
She is also one of the few Presidents coming from an SMP background like me! (Correct me if I am wrong)

That itself feels meaningful.

MIA CEO, Mr G Shanmugam, reminded us of something important.

MIA is not just a membership body.
It is a statutory body under the Ministry of Finance.

That matters.

He also shared that the proposed amendments to the Accountants Act are now in the final stage, and hopefully can be tabled in Parliament by 2026 or 2027.

That is not a small thing. It shapes how our profession will look for the next generation.

He also spoke about sustainability, member training, and technology, not as buzzwords, but as real areas MIA is now actively working on.

As I sat there through the morning session, looking around the room, I felt something quite rare.

A sense that this profession is still alive.
Still moving.
Still trying to do better despite the challenges.

Yes, compliance is heavier.
Yes, standards are higher.
Yes, cost of doing business is getting more susah.
And yes, technology is changing everything.

But seeing more than 150 professionals choosing to spend their morning learning, sharing, and reconnecting reminded me why this profession still matters.

Not because it is easy.
But because people still care enough to show up.

And that is something I feel genuinely grateful for.

PS. Me, my old buddy Jesu Dason, and new acquaintance Norherienda Abdul Kadir were sitting at the top right corner because we are introvert accountants 😂

PS : Authored by Mr Koh Teck Peng, the grou principal of KTP, in his personal LinkedIn post