Pengiran Mokhsein, A Friendly and Professional Accountant

Last week I received a sad news of the passing away of Pengiran Mokhsein, the President of the Brunei Institute of Certified Public Accountants (BICPA), a friend and a professional colleague.

We know each other due to our involvement in the Asean Federation of Accountants (AFA) where we were council members. At one stage, Pengiran was the President of AFA while I was his deputy. Another Bruneian, Hajjah Ning was the Secretary General.

Myself, Pengiran Mokhsein and Hajjah Ning at AFA Council meeting in Manila

Although the membership of BICPA is small, Pengiran Mokhsein managed to make their contributions felt at AFA. He was a nice and friendly but would express his views without hesitant. He was willing to listen to opposite views and would make decisions professionally.

When I left the accountancy fraternity to be a regulator, our contact was reduced. However, we would normally try to meet each other when he was in Kuala Lumpur attending meetings or conference.

Few years ago I was told that he had cancer and went for surgery. It was very devastating for me to hear the news. When he recovered, he resumed his activities as a council member of AFA. I could recall that I met him 3 times, twice in Kuala Lumpur and one in Bangkok, for the last time. He was in high spirit and looking forward to a full recovery.

Apparently, his cancer relapsed late last year and Pengiran had to stay at home beginning of this year.

With Pengiran Mokhsein and Priya Terumalay (General Manager of CPA Australia) in Bangkok at a conference on small and medium sized accounting firms

A number of years earlier, Hajjah Ning also succumbed to cancer when she was holding the post of the Secretary General of the Ministry of Finance. A Bruneian delegation was in Kuala Lumpur and I was expecting to see her after so many years. Instead, I was told that she had passed away few months earlier.

With the passing of both Hajjah Ning and Pengiran, the Bruneian accounting profession had lost two towering figures who had contributed a lot to the profession. It would not be easy for the two of them to be replaced. This also means that I had lost two great friends and colleagues whom I had worked together in promoting the interests of accountants in Asean.

I pray to Allah that both of them would be accorded His forgiveness and be showered with blessings.