Starting a new life on the other side of the world takes a leap of faith at the best of times. When it’s a world deep in lockdown, conviction is required in spades. When Asyraaf Osman and Aqilah Suhaizam arrived in Ireland in August 2021, navigating ghost airports, routine PCR tests and extensive quarantine periods was all part of the deal. It helped that the couple had a clear plan from the outset – if only because ‘convincing our families we were doing the right thing was the hardest part’, Asyraaf recalls.
With Malaysian government sponsorship, the pair, who had met while studying at the International University in Kuala Lumpur and, for good measure, had married just a week before arriving here, were pursuing a year of professional accountancy study at Dublin Business School.
‘Opportunities back home were limited because of the pandemic’
‘The Malaysian government created a study programme to help graduates achieve a professional qualification abroad,’ Asyraaf explains. ‘They see it as a long-term investment. When you are ready, you’ll bring that expertise back.’
Aside from the chance to expand horizons, they say their chief motivation could be summed up in one word: ACCA. ‘Opportunities back home were limited at the time because of the pandemic, and we felt the ACCA qualification could open up opportunities for us,’ Aqilah says. Asyraaf agrees: ‘We considered other professional bodies, but ACCA stood out for its global recognition. We wanted something that would travel with us.’
Appeal
Thanks to exemptions gained from their primary business degrees, the route ahead was relatively clear. ‘We had just four more papers to undertake when we arrived, and during the first year we completed two,’ Asyraaf explains.
Full-time study concluded, their bet on Ireland and ACCA continued to pay off as both were offered graduate training positions with Grant Thornton, allowing them to complete the final papers and meet their practical experience requirement.
It was also becoming evident to the newly minted ACCAs that their host country’s appeal extended beyond its professional opportunities. ‘One thing we were told about Ireland before coming here was how beautiful it is and how nice people are,’ Aqilah says. ‘It was proven by our experience. Everybody was very welcoming to us. So we decided to see if we could stay here.’
‘It was tough but we crossed the globe for this’
Before taking up the new roles, a more pressing life experience took precedence. ‘In August 2022, we went back to Malaysia where our son Noah was born,’ Asyraaf says. ‘Soon after that, we returned to Dublin and started with Grant Thornton, where we are now members of the advisory team.’
Aqilah manages full monthly accounts for international clients, while Asyraaf prepares management accounts and financial statements. Both quickly found that ACCA ‘makes far more sense when you’re doing the work’, as Asyraaf explains. ‘The experience requirement is what turns theory into real understanding. When I sat later exams while working with clients, everything clicked.’
Transformative
Attending the new members ceremony in October, with three-year-old Noah in tow, marks a joyful conclusion to this transformative period of their lives – all the sweeter for the challenges they have surmounted along the way.
Working, caring for a baby and studying – without her wider family network at hand – ‘I did feel like giving up at one point’, Aqilah admits. ‘But Asyraaf reminded me why we started and that we crossed the globe for this. We believed ACCA would open opportunities. I kept going.’
‘We see ourselves as a team. We don’t want to succeed alone’
Asyraaf says that a relationship built on strong mutual support got them through the tough times. ‘We see ourselves as a team. We don’t want to succeed alone. Whatever one of us achieves, we want for the other too.’
The couple also credit their employer with helping them achieve their ACCA dream together. ‘From day one, Grant Thornton really supported us,’ Aqilah says. ‘I didn’t yet qualify for certain supports as a new arrival to the country, so together we worked out flexible hours and a hybrid approach to work to manage everything. That flexibility and trust meant everything to us.’
Sense of achievement
As they write the next chapter of their lives, the couple say Ireland will remain central. While they certainly miss family, Malaysian cuisine and the guarantee of sunshine, they are currently busy searching for a school for Noah.
Enthusiastically, they say they ‘hear great things about education here, how it balances learning with PE and wider interests. It’s different from Asia’s exam-focused model.’ At home, they speak both English and Malay so their son grows up bilingual. ‘Noah has an Irish accent now,’ Aqilah laughs. ‘Sometimes, I have to ask him to repeat himself!’
Reflecting on that daunting arrival at Dublin Airport four years ago, Asyraaf says he is proud of what they have achieved. ‘We left home at a challenging time, with a lot to prove. Now we have our careers, our community and our son. Our hard work made it happen, but ACCA made it possible.’
