The Deloitte Tax Challenge is an annual National-level competition organized for undergraduates to test their knowledge in taxation and to improve their soft skills especially in writing, speaking and presentation. APU has participated in this competition since 2010, through the School of Accounting, Finance and Quantitative Studies (SAFIQS). While our teams had performed credibly in the past, we had not previously reached the Finals.

This year’s competition was held in October and November 2013, and 7 teams from SAFIQS represented APU, among 116 teams from Public and Private Universities and Colleges all over Malaysia. 

Out of the 116 teams, only the top 5 teams were selected for the Finals.  APU’s team achieved a major success when they were chosen as one of the 5 Finalists for the first time ever!

The Finals of the competition were held on 8^th November 2013 at OneWorld Hotel Petaling Jaya. After a very tense and hard-fought competition, we are very proud to announce that APU’s team ended up as the First Runners Up, losing out narrowly only to UiTM (Universiti Teknologi Mara).

What is particularly notable is that APU was the highest placed Private Institution in the competition, beating out traditional and well established powerhouses (both public and private) who had regularly won in the past. This is a major achievement indeed for SAFIQS and APU, relative newcomers in the field of Accounting and Finance, and it certainly bodes well for the progress that the School has made since its inception in 2009.

The team received their award from Mr Tan Theng Hooi, Deloitte’s Country Managing Partner and Mr Yee Wing Peng, Deloitte’s Country Tax Leader.

Let us all congratulate our winners, Wong Li Kien, Wong Jo Anne, Jennifer Erwin and Key Tho Ping for putting in their effort and hard work. Congratulations also go out to all the academic staff who tirelessly mentored our students throughout the competition, in particular Ms Shubatra and Mr Kho Guan Khai from SAFIQS.

Once again, congratulations for a job well done, and let’s look forward to even greater success in 2014!