The forum leads ACCA’s work in finance and accounting issues in the international public sector. It brings together senior figures from central and local government and other state institutions from all over the world. The forum’s agenda covers public financial management, budgeting,accounting, audit, governance and regulation.
Datuk Wan Selamah Wan Sulaiman FCCA
Accountant general of Malaysia
Wan Selamah became a member of ACCA in 1978 after completing her studies in Birmingham, with a scholarship from the Government of Malaysia. Returning to Malaysia, she began a prolific and successful career in government, which took her to a range of departments including the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Defence. In 2009 Wan Selamah was promoted as the deputy accountant general (Corporate) and in November 2010 was appointed accountant general of Malaysia, leading the accountant general’s department.
The office is responsible for preparing government accounts, setting accounting standards and procedures, and handling transactions and processing. The Department has 25 branches throughout Malaysia. Wan Selamah is head of the government accounting service, and responsible for training some 5,000 personnel.
As accountant general, Wan Selamah has sought to ensure that reports are issued in a timely and efficient manner. Long-term goals include the adoption of accrual accounting.
Gillian Fawcett
Head of public sector, ACCA
Gillian is responsible for developing policy on technical issues affecting finance professionals working in public services around the globe.
Before joining ACCA, Gillian was a senior fellow with the Office for Public Management (OPM) UK and was a key member of its organisational development and policy team. She has also worked for the Audit Commission in the UK, where she was acting head of policy with expertise in corporate governance, financial management, performance management and human rights and equalities. In 2005 she was seconded to the UK Parliament as deputy head of the Scrutiny Unit, responsible for providing professional support to select committees.
In addition to her current role, she is vice chair of the Macro Economic Committee for the European Centre of Employers and Enterprises providing Public Services (CEEP) and is an advisory group member for an LSE (London School of Economics) research project for developing a human rights measurement framework for the UK. She was also a non-executive of the Legal Action Group until 2007. Gillian has an MBA and began her career as a qualified accountant.