In a world full of auditors, Johor-born Mun Soon and Kuala Lumpur-born Kay Ryln prove to be an auditing powerhouse. It is interesting to see how similar their journeys turned out from their university days to landing their first job at PwC Malaysia, where they met. Together, they have travelled the world in pursuit of career growth and an exciting adventure of a lifetime.
The beginning of life abroad
After working at PwC for several years, Mun Soon was offered a role at EY Singapore. As daunting of a decision as it was, he took a leap of faith and accepted the offer, kickstarting his journey abroad. It was made extra special with the support of Kay Ryln, who cheered him on from Malaysia as she worked on completing her post-qualification experience. The transition from working in Malaysia to Singapore proved to be quite the challenge, he shares. Naturally, being in a new environment poses its challenges. Luckily for him, the office had familiar faces as he reunited with some ex-college mates and was surrounded by fellow Malaysians.
Time works in wondrous ways. Just as Kay Ryln completed her three-year post-qualification experience in Malaysia, Mun Soon received an offer to move to Houston. By then, she was ready to make that move with him and was empowered by her mentor, who was supportive and helpful in her request to transfer to another office.
Since then, they have lived in Houston, Manchester, and San Francisco and are currently in Tokyo. Their move was mostly attributed to Mun Soon’s career progression. He expressed his gratitude to his partner, Kay Ryln, for supporting him through the years of moving from one city to another. Having a support system is crucial, especially when making major life-changing decisions such as this.
Fast forward to 2023, when the opportunity presented itself for Kay Ryln to move to Tokyo under a mobility transfer, Mun Soon was completely onboard and ready to start a new chapter together in the vibrant city. “I think for us, the great thing is we have both of us to support each other”.
Adapting to life abroad
During their time in Houston, Mun Soon and Kay Ryln were part of the Malaysian and Singapore Association Houston (MSAH). “I think that’s one of the places that helped us connect back to our roots”. Festivities such as Hari Raya, Chinese New Year, and National Day celebrations were celebrated together. Now that they’re in Japan, they partake in Malaysian events held by the Japan Graduates Association of Malaysia (JAGAM). Like many Malaysians abroad, being part of a Malaysian society gives them a sense of home away from home and makes adapting to their new life in a foreign city a little less lonely.
MyHeart aims to make it easier for Malaysians abroad to connect with associations in their city and keep users informed on Malaysian events they may be interested in.
Hitting milestones together
Reflecting on their respective careers, Mun Soon shared that one of his achievements was being able to stay relevant and successful in first-world countries. “It goes to show that we Malaysians are equally talented, if not better, than people from other countries”. Kay Ryln, on the other hand, highlighted that being able to strike a balance between work and family has been a huge blessing. Additionally, she is proud to represent women in her industry, especially considering that meeting female colleagues in her field is a rarity.
Harnessing local talent
Sharing their thoughts on talents in Malaysia, Mun Soon and Kay Ryln spoke about how international companies are keen to set up businesses in Malaysia due to an interest in local talents. Explaining further that Malaysians are knowledgeable, hardworking and have good command of the English language goes to show how capable we are.
While Malaysians abroad have their personal reasons for living overseas, he shares that having a platform like MyHeart where like-minded professionals can connect and share stories is a good start. Bridging Malaysians abroad to home opens a myriad of opportunities, such as collaboration for knowledge transfer, which will leave a positive impact on the nation.
Key takeaway from an experienced auditor
When Mun Soon started off with interning at PwC before being offered an auditing role, he could not have predicted what would become of this career years down the road. He explained, “I really think that’s the reason why I managed to join them after I graduated,” emphasising the importance of training and having industry experience. He adds, “For students out there, I think an internship stint is very important. Make full use of the opportunity to have an internship and subsequently be employed by the company”.
In addition, having a good boss who acts as a mentor can transform an individual to unlock their fullest potential. In his case, with his talent, unwavering work ethic and guidance from his boss, he was able to perfect his craft, making him a desirable talent for many companies.
Mun Soon and Kay Ryln are keen on seeing MyHeart grow within the Malaysian community. They are on board with working together, where possible, to contribute to Malaysia even from afar.
If you’re a Malaysian abroad who would like to leverage on a global Malaysian network for your career or to simply keep in touch with other Malaysians, register yourself on MyHeart to get started.
