Mohummud Riffai Purdasy is an islander from Mauritius who enrolled in Sunway University’s BSc (Hons) in Actuarial Studies programme in 2015 and graduated in 2018. Thereafter, he embarked on a couple of traineeships in the insurance domain, as well as a business venture back in Mauritius. Currently, he works as an investment analyst in Mauritius Union Assurance Group (MUA Ltd).

To mark the true beginning of Riffai’s journey at Sunway, he remembered vividly the moment he attended classes in the newly erected University building in the second half of 2015. This set the tone of “attending university” and made him feel immensely proud of being a Sunwayian! Riffai was also the holder of the prestigious Tan Sri Dr Jeffrey Cheah Entrance Scholarship. During his three years at Sunway University, he was actively involved in many clubs like Sunway International Student Ambassadors (SISA), Sunway Student Volunteers (SSV), Sunway Student Ambassadors (SSA), and Sunway Actuarial & Financial Excellence (SAFE).

Riffai’s motivations to become a successful student came from the fact that his parents made sacrifices for him to have an education abroad. To manage his studies, he commented that having a schedule always helps, given that it also caters to the unexpected. Riffai’s years at Sunway was no walk in the park, he recalls the many obstacles he faced as a student, yet feels blessed that he had supportive friends around him, so he never felt alone. He gives thanks to the experiences, both pleasant and not pleasant, that have made him the person he is today.

According to Riffai, the BSc (Hons) in Actuarial Studies programme pushed his limits and has given him a holistic approach to education. Riffai affirms that young people nowadays should develop soft skills because communicating well within the working environment is of paramount importance. He also encouraged more communication with lecturers and industry experts to have a better understanding of the actuarial field. As an investment analyst in MUA Ltd, Riffai has shared several feats that he is most proud of. He was the person who started the first investments for MUA Life’s newly launched Takaful Life Fund. Besides that, he has also successfully taken over the management of the corporate pension funds in his company. Under the COVID-19 pandemic, he has aided in the necessary transitions to allow for a smooth operation of his department. Attending to various agendas at the same time was indeed tough, but it enabled him to push further and gain valuable experiences.

As a proud Mauritian, Riffai expressed the country’s wonders with a quote from Mark Twain — “Mauritius was made first, and then heaven.” “Malaysia is my second home and I long to be back,” said Riffai. He hopes to have the opportunity to visit Malaysia again and experience all of its wonders! Not only to enjoy the food but to reconnect with the people in Malaysia that he met during his days at Sunway University.