#Dato home lock professional#

Lock is now managing partner, audit and assurance, at Baker Tilly in Kuala Lumpur, heading a section of the business with 300 staff. I am so happy that opportunity remains a big part of ACCA’s purpose, and I know it always will be.’ Specialist work This is why I am so proud to serve on Council. I firmly believe in this philosophy till this day. ‘ACCA held true to what it preached, and has given me exactly the chance I needed. Because of my experiences in life, I hold this very closely to my heart. ‘I chose ACCA because it offered an opportunity to everyone regardless of background. The salaries might be low to start with, but they progressed quite steeply quite quickly, so I was confident that I could make a good living. I was confident that I would not only find work in Malaysia, but also succeed in my home country. Secondly, family is very important to me. 'Many young accountants headed towards greener pastures, like Singapore, Australia or the United Kingdom. ‘There was never a moment of doubt in my mind that I would go home to Malaysia,’ he said. Lock gained his BA in accountancy and finance at Middlesex University in England, and then set out to carve a career back home in Malaysia first, at GEP Associates where he began his ACCA studies, then PwC. You couldn’t afford to waste it,’ he said.

‘I had three elder brothers and sisters, and as a tradition it was the eldest’s responsibility to succeed, and then help the next sibling make it.

#Dato home lock professional#

Still, he reached university - with the added pressure of knowing he had one shot at gaining a degree to start his journey towards becoming a professional accountant. He began school in Chinese switched to Malay in high school and sat pre-university exams in English - largely a foreign tongue for him. His route to achieving his aim sounds very much like an obstacle course, thanks to the specific nature of Malaysia’s multi-lingual education system.

In short, I chose accountancy for the opportunities and income it promised.’ Obstacle course I chose accountancy because it seemed like the best route for a boy like me to land a well-paying job. ‘My friends and colleagues who are accountants often tell me that their passion for numbers and finance was what drove them to take up accountancy. To work hard, and to succeed,’ said Lock. It became their urgent responsibility to succeed in education, get good jobs, and to support the family. The passing of the patriarch of the family meant that extra responsibilities were thrust onto the shoulders of the older children. It meant that a lot of what we had looked forward to as a family was suddenly taken away from us. So much of Lock Peng Kuan’s life and career was shaped by a family tragedy which turned his world upside down when he was just a boy.

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