14/08/2026
“Boss, Our Industry Got Work-Life Balance Or Not?”
Today during Friday Boss Talk,
one of my new colleagues asked me a very practical question.
“Boss, our industry got work-life balance or not?”
I looked at her.
Then I said,
“Frankly speaking…No.”
😂😂😂
Maybe not the answer a new colleague expects from the boss.
But I rather tell the truth.
Because our profession itself is becoming…
UNBALANCED.
More compliance.
More deadlines.
More law changes.
But fewer people.
And Johor got one additional problem.
Singapore is just across the Causeway.
We train good people.
They become experienced.
Then Singapore says,
“Come.”
😑😑😑
At the same time, fewer students are choosing accounting.
Good accounting personnel are already difficult to find.
Good accountants in the commercial and accounting industry who can think, communicate, understand business and still survive accounting pressure?
Even harder.
But the workload never says,
“Never mind lah. Not enough people. We reduce.”
No.
Tax changes.
SST changes.
E-Invoice changes.
Audit standards change.
MPERS standards change.
AML requirements change.
Sometimes we just finished learning one new rule.
Another update comes.
😂😂😂
So how do we create work-life balance?
Definitely not by telling everybody,
“Work harder.”
There is a limit to working harder.
24 hours is still 24 hours.
We need to change how we work.
For me, AI is part of the answer.
Use AI for repetitive work.
Research.
Extraction.
Drafting.
Checking.
Documentation.
Let accountants spend more time thinking and reviewing.
Less time behaving like human copy-and-paste machines.
We also need AI in training and development.
Today, a junior should not need to wait until the senior is free before learning something.
Ask AI first.
Read.
Understand.
Think.
Then ask the senior a better question.
That changes productivity.
Then there is audit exemption.
If smaller companies genuinely qualify and statutory audit is no longer necessary, our limited audit manpower can focus on work where audit creates greater value.
And finally…
Malaysian Institute of Accountants
I know nowadays big conference one after another.
Very busy.
But please…
give us some update on the new Accountants Act also.
Malaysian Institute of Accountants
After organising hundred of AI webinars and conferences,
MIA staffs still working with the old-school way…
Set a good example first.
then young accountants will also ask,
“Boss, why during conference they talk about AI until macam can fly to the moon, but once back in office, still Excel, email and copy-paste all the way?”
😂😂😂
Because I cannot keep telling young accountants.
"You can do it!"
Every year just keep 画大饼.
Later 饼越来越大,
人越来越少🤭.
“Work like cow first.
One day maybe can live like human
When the profession itself is not balanced.
More work.
Less people.
More rules.
Same old way of working.
That equation will never balance.
PS : Authored by Mr Koh Teck Peng, the group principal, in his personal LinkedIn post.
“Boss, 我们这一行到底有没有 Work-Life Balance？”
今天 Friday Boss Talk 的时候,
一个刚加入不久的同事问了我一个很实际的问题.
“Boss, 我们这一行到底有没有 Work-Life Balance？”
我看着她.
然后我说,
“Frankly speaking…没有.”
😂😂😂
可能这不是一个新同事最想从老板口中听到的答案.
但是我宁愿讲真话.
因为我们这个 profession 本身,
已经越来越…
UNBALANCED.
越来越多 compliance.
越来越多 deadline.
越来越多 law changes.
但是人越来越少.
而且 Johor 还有一个额外的问题.
Singapore 就在 Causeway 对面.
我们辛辛苦苦 training 好一个人.
他有经验了.
可以独立做事了.
然后 Singapore 说,
“Come.”
😑😑😑
同时,
现在选择读 Accounting 的学生也越来越少.
要找一个好的 accounting personnel,
本来就已经不容易.
要找一个可以在 commercial 或 accounting industry 里面,
会想,
会沟通,
懂 business,
又顶得住 accounting pressure 的 accountant?
更加难.
但是 workload 从来不会跟你说,
“Never mind lah.
不够人.
我们少做一点.”
不会.
Tax change.
SST change.
E-Invoice change.
Audit standard change.
MPERS standard change.
AML requirement change.
有时候我们才刚刚学完一个新 rule.
另外一个 update 又来了.
😂😂😂
所以,
Work-Life Balance 要怎样做出来?
肯定不是每天跟大家讲,
“Work harder.”
努力是有 limit 的.
一天还是只有 24 个小时.
我们需要改变的,
是 我们工作的方式.
对我来说,
AI 是其中一个答案.
把 AI 用在 repetitive work.
Research.
Extraction.
Drafting.
Checking.
Documentation.
让 accountant 花更多时间去 think 和 review.
少一点时间做 human copy-and-paste machine.
我们也需要把 AI 放进 Training & Development.
现在的 junior,
不应该每一次遇到问题,
都要等 senior 有空才可以学.
先问 AI.
先读.
先 understand.
先 think.
然后再拿一个更好的问题去问 senior.
这个才是真正提高 productivity.
然后就是 Audit Exemption.
如果小公司真的符合条件,
也真的不再需要 statutory audit,
那我们有限的 audit manpower,
就可以集中在真正有 value 的 audit work 上.
最后还有一个…
Malaysian Institute of Accountants.
MIA,
我知道现在 big conference 一个接一个.
很忙.
但是 please…
新的 Accountants Act,
也 update 我们一下啦.
还有,
Malaysian Institute of Accountants,
办了这么多 AI webinar.
办了这么多 AI conference.
如果 MIA staff 自己做东西,
还是用 old-school way…
那是不是应该先 set a good example?
不然年轻 accountant 也会问,
“Boss, 为什么 conference 里面讲 AI 讲到要飞天了,
回到 office 还是 Excel, email, copy paste 那一套?”
😂😂😂
因为我不可以每天只是跟年轻 accountant 讲,
“You can do it!”
每年继续 画大饼.
结果,
饼越来越大.
人越来越少.
🤭
“先 Work like cow.
有一天 maybe,
才可以 live like human.”
问题是,
当这个 profession 本身都不 balance,
More work.
Less people.
More rules.
还是同一套 old way of working.
这个 equation,
永远都不会 balance.
PS : Authored by Mr Koh Teck Peng, the group principal, in his personal Meta post.
