— our story
How Buacouns Studies came to be
Buacouns Studies was established in Kuala Lumpur with a single conviction: that most people who want to understand their finances are held back not by intelligence but by a lack of the right reading. Annual reports, fee disclosures, savings account terms — these are documents that can be read and understood, but they are rarely taught. We set out to teach them.
The studio began with one evening course for a small group of professionals who wanted to read Bursa Malaysia company reports without relying on summaries written by others. Word spread slowly, and a second course in personal finance foundations followed. Both courses are still running, taught in the same manner they always have been: in small groups, with written exercises, and at a pace that leaves room for genuine understanding.
We have no particular view on what decisions you should make with your money. That is not our place. What we can offer is a clear-eyed reading of the documents that bear on those decisions, and a setting in which questions are treated as worthwhile rather than inconvenient.
— mission
What we are here to do
Close reading
Every course is built on the practice of reading primary documents carefully — not relying on someone else's interpretation.
Written reflection
Students write during and between sessions. Writing tests understanding in ways that listening alone does not.
Considered judgement
We teach students to weigh what documents actually say — not what they might prefer to hear — and to act on that reading with care.
— the people
The instructors
Ahmad Razi bin Hashim
lead instructor
Has taught financial literacy in adult education settings in Kuala Lumpur for over twelve years. Specialises in the reading of company annual reports and fee disclosure documents.
Lim Wei Shan
foundations tutor
Leads the Foundations of Personal Finance course and works with students individually on written exercises. Particular interest in helping first-time savers read account terms with confidence.
Priya Krishnamurthy
tutored companion
Manages the Tutored Reading Companion programme, matching reading suggestions to each student's interests and providing written commentary on their progress.
— standards
How we maintain teaching quality
Curriculum review
Course materials are reviewed before each new cohort and updated to reflect any changes in Malaysian financial regulations, Bursa Malaysia reporting requirements, or product structures.
Student feedback
At the close of each course, students are invited to give written feedback on the pace, content, and usefulness of what they have studied. This informs the next revision.
Data privacy
Student enrolment information is held securely and used only for course administration. We do not share or sell student data to third parties.
Instructor development
Instructors keep their own reading practice current and meet regularly to discuss how the material is landing with each new group of students.
Source accuracy
All worked examples use publicly available, verifiable documents from Bursa Malaysia and Malaysian financial institutions. We do not use invented or hypothetical figures.
No conflicts of interest
Buacouns Studies does not receive referral fees, commissions, or sponsorship from financial institutions. Our only income is from course fees.
— our approach
Financial education in Kuala Lumpur — a brief note on what we teach and why
Financial documents are not difficult to read. They are long, and they use specialised language, and they are written by people who do not always have the reader's interests in mind — but they are not, in the end, beyond the reach of a careful reader who has been shown how to approach them.
The Foundations of Personal Finance course at Buacouns Studies begins with the documents most people in Malaysia encounter but seldom read carefully: the terms attached to savings accounts, the fee tables for unit trusts, the basic structure of an EPF statement. By the end of six weeks, students have read a range of real documents and have written about what they found in them.
Reading Company Reports takes a different path, working through the published annual reports of companies listed on Bursa Malaysia. The course covers the income statement, the balance sheet, the cash flow statement, and the notes — not to teach students to invest, but to teach them what these documents say and do not say.
The Tutored Reading Companion is for students who have completed one of the courses and want to continue reading with guidance. It is a quieter arrangement than a course — fortnightly meetings, a steady exchange of written work, and a reading list that responds to where the student's interests have taken them.
All three programmes are taught in English and designed for adult learners who are approaching the material for the first time or who want to read it with more care than they have managed on their own.
— enquiries welcome
Would you like to know more?
We are glad to answer questions about any course, the schedule, or whether a programme suits your current level of knowledge.
get in touch