CIMA Malaysia Becomes the First Professional Accounting Body in the World to be Appointed as Yayasan Peneraju's ALTI to Develop Bumiputera Accounting Talents

  

Yayasan Peneraju (YP), an agency under the Ministry of Economy, and The Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) today marked a new chapter in their long-standing partnership with the official launch of AICPA & CIMA Malaysia as YP’s Approved Learning and Training Institution (ALTI). CIMA, together with the American Institute of CPAs (AICPA), forms the Association of International Certified Professional Accountants, which is a worldwide leader on public and management accounting.

To-date, more than 9,000 Bumiputera talents have benefitted from Yayasan Peneraju’s professional accounting programmes nationwide. The onboarding of CIMA as an ALTI effective September 2025 marks another significant milestone in YP’s continued commitment to expanding access to globally recognised professional certification pathways under its new financing scheme.

At the launch ceremony, Chief Executive Officer of YP, Ibrahim Sani, commented, “YP’s new financing scheme empowers Bumiputera talents to take greater ownership of their professional growth. By shifting towards a loan-based structure, scholars now have the flexibility to choose their preferred learning providers or ALTIs. In 2026, we aim to train 2,000 Chartered Accountants as part of our broader ambition to produce 5,000 Chartered Accountants annually by 2030. With CIMA onboard as YP’s ALTI, we are confident that this partnership will help us realise that ambition and nurture Bumiputera professionals who can compete and lead on a global stage.”

Ibrahim added, “By making a professional accounting body like CIMA an ALTI, we are taking the learning journey of our talents on a more direct route. Talents can now take the journey to join the largest and most influential membership accounting body for Public and Management accounts and finance professionals by being trained directly by CIMA, and not through a training institute. The idea is to cut costs, increase efficiency, and deliver syllabus through direct pathway, from the issuer to the talent with no intermediaries in between. This is a bold step for both YP and CIMA to take in training professional accountants.”

With this appointment, most of CIMA’s professional programmes are now eligible under the Yayasan Peneraju Financing Scheme. These include CGMA® Finance Leadership Programme (FLP) Skills Plus, CGMA® Finance Leadership Programme (FLP) Skills Core, CFO Programme, Senior Executive Programme (SEP) and CIMA–MIA Senior Leaders Programme. These programmes are designed to equip participants with advanced management accounting and leadership capabilities, supporting their journey towards the Chartered Global Management Accountant (CGMA) designation, the world’s most widely held management accounting credential, recognised across 188 countries.

Saritha Subramaniam, Director - SEA Markets, AICPA & CIMA said, “As the finance and accounting profession continues to evolve, our mission is to empower professionals with the competencies, agility and foresight to lead with confidence in an increasingly complex world. This collaboration underscores our shared commitment to nurturing talent and advancing lifelong learning, essential drivers of Malaysia’s growth and global competitiveness.”

“In line with this commitment, we are also pleased to announce the first cohort of CGMA Bumiputera Career Accelerator (BCA) and Bumiputera Leadership Growth Accelerator (BLGA) Initiative, with participation from leading Government-Linked Companies (GLCs). These programmes are designed to support high-potential Bumiputera graduates and experienced professionals in accelerating their career progression through the CGMA qualification,” she added.

Bumiputera individuals who are interested in pursuing CIMA’s professional programmes under the Yayasan Peneraju Financing Scheme may learn more and submit their applications through CIMA Malaysia’s official portal at https://bit.ly/3W4B5hl or visit https://peneraju.org to explore Yayasan Peneraju’s flexible financing scheme. This opportunity is open to Bumiputera professionals seeking career advancement, working adults looking to upskill or reskill, and university students pursuing future-ready careers in business and finance.