Double Victory for TAR UC at DTC 2019

Continuing a tradition of excellence, two Tunku Abdul Rahman University College (‘TAR UC’) students secured top spots at the Deloitte Tax Challenge (‘DTC’) 2019. Classmates and close friends, Ashley Lim Siew Fern and Chew Chen Wah, both Bachelor of Commerce (Hons) students, were crowned Champion and 2nd Runner-up respectively during the grand finals which was held on 14 November 2019. Ashley was also named Best Writer and Best Presenter and will be representing Malaysia in the Deloitte Southeast Asia Tax Challenge 2020 which will be held in Kuala Lumpur in February, 2020.

Fresh off her win in the EY Young Tax Professional (‘EYTP’) of the Year competition where she emerged as 1st Runner-up, Ashley cited her win as motivation to perform better during DTC 2019.

“Throughout the competition we were exposed to tax issues as well as current debates within the country and the experience has reignited my passion,” she shared. “Winning the Best Speaker and Best Writer definitely came as a surprise and it exceeded my expectations. I have always had a knack for writing and I love to read. Speaking on the other hand took me a while to improve.”

“My experience in this competition has also boosted my self-confidence. I was a completely different person before the competition, and I feel more confident now after going through all the challenges and performing under pressure. For me, that was the key to maintaining composure.”

Chen Wah also celebrated his joy of winning and shared that he joined the annual DTC to broaden his horizons and to enhance his resume after hearing about it during class.

“Being able to achieve what I have means a lot to me,” said Chen Wah. “Through this experience I was able to meet many amazing people – the organisers, the partners in Deloitte Malaysia and also my fellow participants. It has also made me want to learn continuously and always strive for self-improvement.”

Both winners took the opportunity to express their heartfelt thanks and appreciation towards their tutors and lecturers who made time to help them during their preparations.

“Our tax lecturers played a key role in this win,” shared Chen Wah. “They dedicated an immeasurable amount of time to help us during the weeks leading up to the Grand Finals. Not only did they enhance our knowledge, their encouragement and moral support provided the psychological push needed to overcome any mental roadblocks.”

Ashley also shared that their lecturers were willing to stay back for long hours to help Chen Wah and herself prepare for the competition. “Under their guidance, I am currently revising my answers and identifying ways to improve on them. I will also be reading up on advanced taxation topics to reinforce my knowledge in preparation for the upcoming regional competition.”

TAR UC has been participating in DTC for 12 years since 2008. In total, TAR UC students emerged as the Champion for the team/individual category at national level for 10 times and as the Champion for the team category at DTC South East Asia (‘SEA’) level in 2016. TAR UC students have also won top placings (1st and 2nd Runner-up positions) at national level 13 times and the 1st Runner-up at DTC SEA level 3 times. In addition, TAR UC has also won numerous merit prizes and awards/non-cash prizes and a total of 14 students have won the ACCA Best Presenters award.