KUCHING: The Sarawak Centre of Performance Excellence Sdn Bhd (SCOPE), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Yayasan Sarawak is opening registration for the April 2026 intake of the Certified Internal Auditor (CIA) programme, aimed at strengthening governance, risk management and internal control capabilities among professionals in Sarawak’s public sector, Government-Linked Companies (GLCs), statutory bodies and private sector.

According to a statement, the CIA qualification is administered globally by the The Institute of Internal Auditors Malaysia (IIAM) and is widely regarded as the premier professional certification for internal auditors worldwide.

“With more than 170,000 certified professionals globally and over 800 CIA holders in Malaysia, the certification has become an important benchmark for professional competency in internal auditing,” it said on Tuesday.

SCOPE Chief Executive Officer Joseph Lim said the programme supports ongoing efforts to strengthen governance practices and institutional capacity across Sarawak’s public sector.

“As Sarawak continues to implement major development initiatives and strengthen public sector accountability, the role of internal auditors becomes increasingly important.

“The CIA programme equips professionals with internationally recognised competencies in governance, risk management and internal controls to support transparent and effective public administration,” he said.

The April 2026 intake will commence on 11 April 2026, beginning with Part 1: Essentials of Internal Auditing, with classes scheduled from April to August 2026. The tentative examination date for Part 1 is 14 August 2026.

The CIA programme comprises three parts covering core areas essential for modern internal auditing, including governance, ethics and professionalism, audit engagement management, business processes and information technology.

Training will be conducted through a combination of virtual sessions and physical classes at SCOPE, allowing greater flexibility for working professionals from government agencies, GLCs, and private sector organisations.

Through programmes such as the CIA certification, SCOPE continues to support Sarawak’s agenda to strengthen institutional capacity, improve governance standards and develop highly skilled professionals to support the state’s economic and administrative transformation.

Professionals interested in enrolling for the April 2026 intake and to know more about the CIA programme may contact Tang Ing Sia (0128097709), Mariane (0168949440) and Husna Nadia (0198483055) for further information. -UKASnews