YAYASAN Peneraju (YP) aims to develop 100,000 qualified Bumiputera talents, including 10,000 value creators, by 2030 as part of efforts to strengthen Malaysia’s economic resilience and support long-term development goals.
Economy Minister Akmal Nasrullah Mohd Nasir said today that building globally competitive Bumiputera professionals was crucial to ensuring Malaysia had the talent required to support future economic growth.
Speaking at the Minister of Economy’s Address event attended by about 2,000 YP beneficiaries on Thursday, Akmal Nasrullah said the initiative would help prepare professionals capable of leading in increasingly competitive industries.
The event, organised by YP, an agency under the Ministry of Economy, provided a platform for the minister to share the government’s direction with Bumiputera talents pursuing internationally recognised professional qualifications, including the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) and the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW).
"The 13th Malaysia Plan (RMK13) targets 1.2 million new job opportunities, with 700,000 in the manufacturing sector and 500,000 in the digital economy. Such opportunities must be supported by talents who not only possess qualifications, but also demonstrate integrity, sound judgement and leadership capabilities.
"That is why the development of Bumiputera accounting and finance talents is not merely about meeting industry needs. They are the backbone of the nation's economy," he said.
Akmal Nasrullah said rapid technological changes, business digitalisation and the growth of high-value industries had transformed the role of accounting and finance professionals.
He said industries now required talents who could combine technical expertise with technology and data skills while providing strategic insights to organisations.
He added that YP played an important role through its Talent Bank initiative by connecting talent development with the actual needs of industries and the national economy.
Since 2012, a total of 13,775 Bumiputera talents have benefited from YP’s professional certification programmes.
Of this number, 3,614 participants have completed their programmes and obtained professional qualifications, while 5,482 participants are currently pursuing various professional certification pathways.
The programmes include qualifications in ACCA, ICAEW, Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA), Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA), Financial Risk Manager (FRM), internal auditing, Islamic finance and executive leadership.
YP acting chief executive officer Nor Azmah Zahrullail said the organisation had shifted its focus from wealth creation towards empowering talents as value creators in response to changing economic and industry requirements.
"Aligned with changes in the economic landscape and industry needs, YP has shifted from the agenda of wealth creation to empowering talents as value creators.
"This transition is reflected through Talent Bank, which targets the development of 100,000 qualified Bumiputera talents by 2030, including 10,000 value creators who will lead in professional fields, business and society," she said.
Nor Azmah said the initiative was aligned with the aspirations of RMK13 and PuTERA35 in strengthening Bumiputera participation in high-value and high-skilled economic sectors.
The event also featured a forum titled "Leading the Future: The Next Generation of Bumiputera Professionals", bringing together industry representatives and YP alumni to discuss education, industry exposure, leadership development and talent empowerment.
The discussion explored Malaysia’s evolving professional landscape, challenges and opportunities for young professionals, as well as industry expectations for future talent.
The programme concluded with the presentation of appreciation certificates by Akmal Nasrullah to 66 outstanding YP talents pursuing ACCA and ICAEW professional pathways.
For the ACCA category, 60 recipients received sponsorship for the ACCA Certificate in Data Analytics together with reduced tuition fees from their respective institutions based on their outstanding performance in the Foundation in Accountancy (FIA) 2025 examinations.
For the ICAEW category, six recipients received RM1,000 cash awards in recognition of their achievements in the Certificate in Finance, Accounting and Business (CFAB) examinations. - July 23, 2026
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