The Malaysian Institute of Accountants (MIA) recently concluded its Member Survey 2024 to gather feedback on the needs of members, with a view to supporting their professional aspirations.
This biennial survey serves as an essential barometer for measuring how well the Institute supports its members through its strategic initiatives, advocacy, communications channels, professional development and comprehensive member services, and offers insights into avenues for improvement.
A total of 5,034 members across various sectors, age groups and qualification backgrounds participated in the Survey conducted from 29 June to 28 September 2024.
In summary, the findings from the 2024 survey show strong levels of satisfaction and trust, while highlighting critical opportunities for the Institute to deepen engagement, enhance service delivery, and strengthen its support cohesively, such as in the key priority areas of sustainability and mental well-being.
Strong Endorsement of MIA’s Core Mandate
A resounding 89.49% of respondents agree that MIA remains steadfast in regulating, developing, and advancing the accountancy profession, up from 87.09% in 2022.
Members across all sectors and job levels expressed their consensus, attesting to the Institute’s ability to uphold its mandate of regulation and development amidst a rapidly changing landscape.
Improved Awareness of Member Support Programmes
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, MIA has intensified its efforts to support members’ mental health and work-life balance through initiatives such as the MIA Assistance Programme, which includes the MIA Careline, Remote Therapy, and Digital Coaching.
In 2024, 57% of respondents reported being aware of the MIA Assistance Programme — a significant jump from 45% in 2022. But there is room for improvement; nearly 43% of all respondents remain unaware of the available services, indicating a need for broader promotion.
Going forward, MIA will continue to invest in mental health support and well-being services. This reflects the growing recognition of well-being as a professional priority, especially given the intense pressures and responsibilities shouldered by accountants across all levels of the profession.
CPD Support and CMDF Awareness Need Boost
The survey also gauged member views on the Capital Market Development Fund (CMDF) subsidies and special discounts provided to support their continuing professional development (CPD). While 41.42% found these benefits helpful, a significant 48.47% were unaware of the subsidies.
These findings indicate that there is room to enhance promotion and communications to ensure members are fully informed about the CPD-related financial support available to them.
Learning Preferences: Hybrid Still Dominates
The preference for hybrid learning (a combination of virtual and physical formats that offers benefits such as digital accessibility as well as in-person networking opportunities) remains strong among survey respondents. This attests to members’ continuing demand for flexible and adaptive learning formats that cater to different lifestyles and job environments.
Hybrid learning was the choice of 55.68% of respondents, consistent with 2022 figures (56.12%). Interestingly, 31.33% of respondents preferred virtual-only options, and 12.99% preferred purely physical formats.
Member Evaluation of MIA’s Service Offerings
The survey results demonstrate that MIA services are generally well received. Overall ratings remain strong despite a slight decline from 87.23% in 2022. For 2024, an average of 79.81% of respondents rated the Institute’s various offerings — including the MIA website, eCirculars, the eAccountants Today digital publication, seminars and webinars, the MIA mobile app, and member privileges — as Excellent, Very Good, or Good.
Based on these results, it is crucial to continuously enhance underutilised services and ensure that core platforms remain accessible, functional, and member-centric.
Technical Support: Consistent Satisfaction
Across ten technical domains including accounting, auditing, taxation, and corporate reporting, 78.33% of respondents rated MIA’s technical support as Excellent, Very Good or Good. The highest ratings were recorded in accounting (84.7%) and regulations (81.2%).
However, emerging areas such as digital economy and sustainability showed slightly lower scores, with 12.04% and 9.18%, respectively, indicating they had never used these services. As the accounting profession pivots to embrace emerging developments such as ESG, data analytics, and regulatory tech, MIA has a clear opportunity to elevate awareness and facilitate member access to its resources in these high-priority fields.
Driving the Sustainability Agenda
One of the key highlights of 2024 survey was the feedback on MIA’s Sustainability Blueprint, launched in 2023. 42.09% of members were aware of the Blueprint, suggesting that broader dissemination and communication is needed.
Members expressed a strong demand for initiatives and programmes to support their implementation of sustainability in practice. Key suggestions included:
These results highlight the growing expectation for MIA to guide members through the sustainability landscape, providing frameworks, information, and resources as well as practical implementation tools and training.
Communication and Branding: Room for Improvement
MIA’s communication with members received positive feedback from 78.19% of respondents, affirming the effectiveness of channels such as email blasts, social media, YouTube, eAT, and the MIA website. This positive response highlights the effectiveness of MIA’s efforts to keep members informed and engaged.
On branding, 74.71% of members were satisfied with MIA’s efforts to enhance its local and international reputation. While this reflects strong confidence in the Institute’s standing as the voice of the profession, it is noteworthy that this marks a slight dip from 76.53% in 2022. This decline suggests an opportunity for MIA to reassess and strengthen its branding strategies to maintain and boost member confidence. The feedback indicates that while MIA’s current communication and branding efforts are effective, there is room for improvement.
Member Loyalty and Pride in Membership
Perhaps one of the most affirming findings of the survey was the expression of loyalty and pride among MIA members. A substantial 87.64% reported feeling very proud or somewhat proud to be part of MIA, compared to 85.87% in 2022.
Moreover, 67.2% of respondents stated they would retain their membership even if it was not mandatory. While this is a slight decline from 69% in 2022, this still represents a powerful vote of confidence in MIA’s value proposition.
Overall Satisfaction and Demographic Insights
The survey found that 84.23% of members were totally or somewhat satisfied with the Institute — an increase from 83.41% in 2022.
Satisfaction was highest among members in public sector at 90.17% and academia at 89.71%. Approval ratings were also high among those aged 31-40 at 86% and below 30 at 85%, indicating satisfaction with the Institute’s approach to future relevance.
Notably, those with MIA QE or Professional qualifications had satisfaction levels of 82% and 80%, respectively.
Conclusion
The MIA Member Survey 2024 offers a valuable snapshot of member perspectives during a transformative period for the accounting profession. While overall satisfaction and confidence in MIA remain high, the findings point to several key areas for improvement: raising awareness of support services and subsidies, enhancing sustainability education and implementation, and strengthening communications for broader reach.
MIA is committed to continually engaging with members and to respond constructively to feedback, as we collaborate to build a more resilient and future relevant accountancy profession in Malaysia.
