CLA Southeast Asia

19/10/2026

𝗠𝗮𝗹𝗮𝘆𝘀𝗶𝗮 𝗕𝘂𝗱𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟳 seeks to strike a careful balance between easing cost pressures, supporting businesses, and advancing fiscal consolidation.

Beyond the headline measures, the key question is whether the Budget can strengthen productivity, encourage private investment, and deliver long-term economic growth.

What does this mean for businesses, investors, and individuals?

Read 𝗖𝗟𝗔 𝗠𝗮𝗹𝗮𝘆𝘀𝗶𝗮’s latest commentary to explore the opportunities, challenges, and key implications of Budget 2027 for growth, investment, taxation, and the cost of living in Malaysia.

Read more: https://www.cla-ts.com/malaysia-budget-2027-balancing-fiscal-discipline-economic-growth-and-the-cost-of-living/

Malaysia Budget 2027 arrives at a delicate point in Malaysia’s economic development. The Government is seeking to ease household pressures and improve business conditions while maintaining a path towards fiscal consolidation. The central question is not whether the Budget contains welcome relief m...

19/10/2026

Last week, CLA Southeast Asia had the privilege of welcoming Ms Jen Leary, CEO of CLA, to our Singapore office.

The visit provided a wonderful opportunity for our people to connect with and learn from Ms Leary. Through meaningful conversations with our leadership team and an open dialogue with managers alongside our Group CEO & Chief Innovation Officer, Henry Tan, she shared her personal career journey, leadership experiences, successes, and lessons learned along the way. The session was insightful, inspiring, and a valuable learning experience for everyone involved.

At CLA Southeast Asia, we believe in bringing people together across functions, levels, and borders. Opportunities like these strengthen the connections within our CLA Global family and reflect our shared commitment to growing our people, our firms, and our global network together.

Thank you, Ms Jen Leary, for your time, openness, and inspiration. We look forward to welcoming you again and continuing the conversations in the future.

30/09/2026

𝗔 𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗜𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝘁𝘆. 𝗔 𝗦𝗺𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗙𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲.

Proud to see the launch of the 𝗖𝗟𝗔 𝗔𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 (𝗔𝗜) 𝗖𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗘𝘅𝗰𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 for Southeast Asia featured by Singapore Business Review. The initiative was launched alongside our transition to 𝗖𝗟𝗔 𝗦𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝗔𝘀𝗶𝗮, reflecting our commitment to helping businesses and professionals navigate a rapidly evolving future.

As Henry Tan, Group CEO & Chief Innovation Officer at CLA Global TS shared, the 𝗖𝗟𝗔 𝗔𝗜 𝗖𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗘𝘅𝗰𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 aims to accelerate AI adoption and workforce transformation through industry collaboration. Echoing this vision, Jen Leary, CEO at CLA (CliftonLarsonAllen) emphasised the importance of equipping professionals with the skills, mindset, and capabilities to thrive in an AI-enabled world.

The future of professional services will not be shaped by technology alone, but by how people and organisations harness it to create greater value for clients, businesses, and communities. A special thank you to our MOU signing partners, including the Institute of Singapore Chartered Accountants, AI, Robotics & Cybersecurity Singapore (ARCS), and our institutes of higher learning partners, Singapore University of Social Sciences and Institute of Technical Education, Singapore for joining us in this important journey to strengthen AI capabilities across the accounting, business advisory, and professional services sectors.

Thank you Singapore Business Review Awardsfor highlighting the launch.

Read more: https://sbr.com.sg/co-written-partner/event-news/new-identity-smarter-future-cla-southeast-asia-launches-ai-centre-excellence-drive-workforce-transformation

CLA Southeast Asia launched the CLA Artificial Intelligence (AI) Centre of Excellence (COE) for Southeast Asia.

30/09/2026

We are proud to launch the 𝗖𝗟𝗔 𝗔𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 (𝗔𝗜) 𝗖𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗘𝘅𝗰𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 for Southeast Asia featured in The Business Times.

The 𝗖𝗟𝗔 𝗔𝗜 𝗖𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗘𝘅𝗰𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 reflects our commitment to helping the accounting, business advisory, and professional services sectors harness the power of AI, build future-ready capabilities, and drive meaningful transformation across the region. Through collaboration with industry bodies, educators, and technology partners, we aim to accelerate AI adoption and create lasting value for businesses and communities.

As Southeast Asia continues to offer compelling growth opportunities for businesses, innovation and digital capabilities will be critical to staying competitive and resilient.

“Through collaboration with industry leaders, professional bodies, educators and technology partners, we aim to accelerate AI adoption, strengthen capabilities across the profession and create lasting value for businesses and communities across the region,” said 𝗛𝗲𝗻𝗿𝘆 𝗧𝗮𝗻, 𝗚𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗽 𝗖𝗘𝗢 & 𝗖𝗵𝗶𝗲𝗳 𝗜𝗻𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗢𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗲𝗿, 𝗖𝗟𝗔 𝗦𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝗔𝘀𝗶𝗮.

Thank you The Business Times for highlight the launch.

Read more: https://www.businesstimes.com.sg/international/asean/south-east-asia-offers-opportunities-squeezed-singapore-firms-says-head-sme-body

Malaysia is one potential target amid an ‘increasingly difficult’ domestic business landscape Read more at The Business Times.

30/09/2026

Thank you Patrick Tay 郑德源 for gracing the CLA Global TS 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗖𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 and witnessing the launch of the 𝗖𝗟𝗔 𝗔𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 (𝗔𝗜) 𝗖𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗘𝘅𝗰𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 (𝗖𝗼𝗘) for Southeast Asia.

30/09/2026

Yesterday, CLA Global TS had the privilege of welcoming more than 50 overseas delegates from across the 𝗖𝗟𝗔 𝗚𝗹𝗼𝗯𝗮𝗹 network, alongside over 100 clients and industry partners in Singapore, for our International Growth Conference.

The conference opened with welcome addresses by 𝗛𝗲𝗻𝗿𝘆 𝗧𝗮𝗻, 𝗚𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗽 𝗖𝗘𝗢 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗖𝗵𝗶𝗲𝗳 𝗜𝗻𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗢𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗲𝗿 of CLA Global TS, and 𝗣𝗮𝘂𝗹 𝗘𝗻𝗴𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗵, 𝗖𝗘𝗢 𝗼𝗳 𝗖𝗟𝗔 𝗚𝗹𝗼𝗯𝗮𝗹, setting the stage for a morning of meaningful discussions on international growth and business opportunities.

We were honoured to have 𝗔𝗻𝗴 𝗬𝘂𝗶𝘁, 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗔𝘀𝘀𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝗦𝗺𝗮𝗹𝗹 & 𝗠𝗲𝗱𝗶𝘂𝗺 𝗘𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗽𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗲𝘀, who delivered an insightful keynote address on "𝗣𝗮𝘁𝗵𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗚𝗹𝗼𝗯𝗮𝗹 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗦𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗮𝗽𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗘𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗽𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗲𝘀", sharing practical perspectives on how local businesses can navigate and succeed in overseas markets.

The programme brought together 20 speakers and market experts, including 8 international speakers and 12 Singapore-based speakers on international business.

Attendees gained first-hand perspectives on opportunities and challenges across key markets, including the U.S., U.K. Germany, Central and Eastern Europe, and Asia, while also exploring the tax, regulatory, governance, and strategic considerations that can help businesses scale internationally.

Beyond the conference sessions, the event facilitated meaningful networking and business matching opportunities, connecting overseas delegates with Singapore companies seeking support on their international growth journeys.

A key highlight of the day was the signing of the 𝗠𝗢𝗨 for the 𝗖𝗟𝗔 𝗔𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 (𝗔𝗜) 𝗖𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗘𝘅𝗰𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 (𝗖𝗢𝗘) for Southeast Asia, marking an important step towards advancing AI capabilities and workforce transformation across the region. Established in partnership with the Institute of Singapore Chartered Accountants, 𝗔𝗜 𝗥𝗼𝗯𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗰𝘀 & 𝗖𝘆𝗯𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗲𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗦𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗮𝗽𝗼𝗿𝗲 (𝗔𝗥𝗖𝗦), Singapore University of Social Sciences and the Institute of Technical Education, Singapore, the Centre aims to strengthen AI adoption across the accounting, business advisory, and professional services sectors.

We were also honoured to have Patrick Tay 郑德源, Assistant Secretary-General of NTUC Singapore, join us to witness the MOU signing ceremony.

As conversations continued well beyond the conference, our speakers, delegates, clients, and market experts took the opportunity to exchange ideas, ask questions, and forge new connections.

The conference marked a significant milestone as we embark on our transformation journey as 𝗖𝗟𝗔 𝗦𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝗔𝘀𝗶𝗮, reinforcing our commitment to be 𝗥𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘆𝗼𝘂 - our clients, people and communities at every stage of their growth journey.

14/09/2026

If we asked our interns to 𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐛𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐢𝐧 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐝, what would they say?

Featuring interns from 𝐥𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐬 𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐭𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬, including 𝐍𝐔𝐒, 𝐈𝐓𝐄 𝐂𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐠𝐞 𝐂𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐥, 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐎𝐡𝐢𝐨 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐔𝐧𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐲, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐔𝐧𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐒𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐧 𝐂𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐚, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐍𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐡 𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐚 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐔𝐧𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐲, this video captures the experiences that challenged, inspired, and shaped them throughout their internship journey.

For some, it was their first exposure to a world which they have no prior experience in. For others, it was engaging with clients, contributing to real projects, and seeing their efforts come to fruition. 𓂃🖋

And sometimes, the moments that stood out most are the simple things, from exercising with colleagues to sharing conversations and experiences that turned co-workers into friends. ✨

🎥This video offers a glimpse into their internship journey, shaped by the people they met, the work they did, and the memories they made. 𝐋𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐟𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐢𝐭𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐭 𝐂𝐋𝐀 𝐆𝐥𝐨𝐛𝐚𝐥 𝐓𝐒 𝐭𝐨 𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞

14/09/2026

📸 Highlights from 𝐂𝐰𝐗 𝐒𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐚𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐞, 𝐂𝐚𝐬𝐞𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐞's annual global flagship conference series.

𝐂𝐋𝐀 𝐆𝐥𝐨𝐛𝐚𝐥 𝐓𝐒 𝐃𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫, 𝐀𝐬𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 & 𝐐𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲, 𝐋𝐞𝐞 𝐓𝐳𝐞 𝐒𝐡𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐠, joined firm leaders, practitioners and technology innovators to explore how agentic AI is reshaping the way organisations work.

During the panel discussion, "𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈𝐭 𝐓𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐆𝐞𝐭 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐑𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭", 𝐓𝐳𝐞 𝐒𝐡𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐠 shared 𝐂𝐋𝐀 𝐆𝐥𝐨𝐛𝐚𝐥 𝐓𝐒' 𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐡𝐧𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐀𝐈 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐣𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐲. Beyond selecting the right tools, successful adoption requires effective change management, leadership commitment and engaging people throughout the transformation process.

As a long-time user of 𝐂𝐚𝐬𝐞𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐞 in our audit practice, we have experienced first-hand how technology can enhance efficiency, quality and collaboration. Today, we continue to explore broader AI and digital solutions that strengthen our processes and create greater value for both our people and clients.

Thank you 𝐂𝐚𝐬𝐞𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐀𝐬𝐢𝐚 for the opportunity to contribute to the conversation and connect with fellow industry leaders.

11/09/2026

🌎 𝐒𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐒𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐚𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐩𝐬 𝐨𝐧 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐔.𝐒. 𝐆𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐭𝐡 𝐉𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐲

At the recent "𝐆𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐆𝐥𝐨𝐛𝐚𝐥: 𝐋𝐚𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐡 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐒𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐞 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐩 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐔𝐒𝐀" event, 𝐘𝐮 𝐒𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠, 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐂𝐨𝐫𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐃𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐩𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐃𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫 𝐚𝐭 𝐂𝐋𝐀 𝐆𝐥𝐨𝐛𝐚𝐥 𝐓𝐒, joined fellow panellists and industry experts to share perspectives on navigating international growth and establishing a successful presence in the U.S. market.

Co-organised by 𝐀𝐂𝐄.𝐒𝐆 (𝐀𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐄𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩) and the 𝐔.𝐒. 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐒𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐒𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐚𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐞, with support from 𝐄𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐞 𝐒𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐚𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐞, the event brought together ecosystem partners, market-entry specialists and founders to explore the opportunities, challenges and practical considerations of U.S. expansion.

More than 80 startups across sectors including artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, energy and healthcare participated in the session, reflecting the strong interest among Singapore companies in pursuing global growth opportunities.

We thank the organisers for the opportunity to contribute to this meaningful discussion. At 𝐂𝐋𝐀 𝐆𝐥𝐨𝐛𝐚𝐥 𝐓𝐒, we support businesses expanding into the United States through integrated advisory services covering tax, accounting, finance, strategy, operations and business development. Combined with the reach of the 𝐂𝐋𝐀 𝐆𝐥𝐨𝐛𝐚𝐥 network and the capabilities of 𝐂𝐋𝐀 (𝐂𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐭𝐨𝐧𝐋𝐚𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐀𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐧 𝐋𝐋𝐏), we help clients navigate growth with confidence across borders.

07/09/2026

In our latest sports engagement and leadership networking session, 𝗖𝗟𝗔 𝗚𝗹𝗼𝗯𝗮𝗹 𝗧𝗦 was delighted to partner with the Singapore Golf Association (𝗦𝗚𝗔) and 𝗧𝗲𝗲 𝗧𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗚𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗽 to host an introductory golf experience for our leaders at 𝗚𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗻𝗕𝗼𝘅 𝗯𝘆 𝗠𝘆 𝗚𝗼𝗹𝗳 𝗞𝗮𝗸𝗶.

As we mark one year of 𝗖𝗟𝗔 𝗚𝗹𝗼𝗯𝗮𝗹 𝗧𝗦' partnership with 𝗦𝗚𝗔, we remain proud to support its High-Performance Programme, which is dedicated to nurturing young athletes and golfers in their sporting development. Beyond supporting the growth of the sport, we are also committed to fostering connections within our business community and encouraging our People to embrace golf as a platform for networking, wellness, and lifelong learning.

This session represents the first step in building greater interest in the sport, starting with our leaders and creating opportunities to inspire wider participation across our firm.

A special thank you to the 𝗦𝗚𝗔 coaches and development squad players for sharing their expertise and passion with us. We are also grateful to 𝗧𝗲𝗲 𝗧𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗚𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗽 for making the session engaging, welcoming, and an enjoyable introduction to the game for all participants.

Together, we look forward to growing the game and strengthening connections across our business and sporting communities.