Words from the families we have worked with
Honest accounts from Malaysian parents who have attended Bijara programmes — what they found useful, what surprised them, and what they took home.
600+
parents completed
4.8/5
average rating
5 yrs
serving families
2
industry recognitions
Participant Reviews
What parents are saying
Suraya binti Rahman
Shah Alam · Workshop
"I went in expecting a generic seminar and came out with an actual first-year cost list for my household. The facilitator was calm and patient — no rushing, no pressure. The worksheet we completed during the session has been sitting on my kitchen counter for three weeks and I keep adding to it. That alone was worth the morning."
April 2025
Ahmad bin Hafiz
Subang Jaya · 6-Week Programme
"My wife and I both attended the six-week programme. By week three we had a budget we actually agreed on — which we had never managed before. The parent circle group was a bit awkward at first but ended up being one of the most useful parts. Hearing other fathers talk about the same questions we had was genuinely reassuring."
April 2025
Nur Izzati binti Zainudin
Klang · Foundations Course
"I am a single parent and was nervous about whether this programme would apply to my situation. It did. The facilitator acknowledged in the first session that households look different and adjusted the worksheet examples accordingly. The clinic sessions were particularly helpful for working through questions specific to my circumstances."
March 2025
Faridah binti Yusof
Setia Alam · Workshop
"A solid three hours. I appreciated that there was no sales pitch — I had attended one of those 'free financial planning' events before and spent the whole time on guard. This was different. Clear, useful, and the checklist they gave us is specific to Malaysian costs rather than some generic template."
April 2025
Khairul Amir bin Othman
Petaling Jaya · 6-Week Programme
"What I valued most was how the programme built week by week. I had tried budgeting apps and read articles but never felt like the pieces connected. Here they connected. By the final session I had a complete picture of where we stood and a realistic timeline for our next two years. The family journal is still in use."
March 2025
Liyana binti Nordin
Shah Alam · Foundations Course
"Three months felt long when I signed up. By the end I wished it were longer. The module on common financial products was particularly eye-opening — explained at a level I could actually understand without being pushed towards anything. The reference handbook has already answered questions I did not even know to ask when I enrolled."
April 2025
Case Studies
How parents applied the programmes
Three families, three different circumstances, three different outcomes.
Case Study 01 · Workshop
Expecting parents, first baby, no existing budget
Challenge
A couple expecting their first child had no household budget in place and no clear picture of what the delivery, first months, and first year would cost. They had a combined income but had never tracked spending and were anxious about the financial shift ahead.
Programme
They attended the Planning for Baby Workshop in January 2025. In the three hours, they completed the first-year cost mapping exercise together and filled in the budget worksheet for the first time as a couple. The facilitator walked them through the main cost categories specific to Malaysian families.
Outcome
Left with a completed worksheet, a first-year cost checklist with estimates, and — in the mother's words — "a shared language about money that we had never quite had before." They enrolled in the six-week programme three months later.
"We came in not knowing what questions to ask. We left with a plan — a small one, but ours."
Case Study 02 · 6-Week Programme
Family of three, return from maternity leave, budget reset needed
Challenge
A mother returning to work after maternity leave found the household budget no longer worked. Childcare costs, formula, and reduced savings from the leave period had changed the financial picture significantly. Arguments about money had increased.
Programme
Both parents attended the Growing Family Money Programme. Sessions two and three — focused on building a budget that holds and managing under changing conditions — were the most directly applicable to their situation. The parent circle included another couple in a similar position.
Outcome
By week five the couple had agreed on a revised budget and a small monthly reserve arrangement. The father described the programme as giving them "a structure for the conversation" that had previously felt impossible to have productively.
"The budget we left with on week six has held for four months now. We adjust it when things change, which is exactly what the programme taught us."
Case Study 03 · Foundations Course
Two children under five, milestone planning needed
Challenge
A family with two children aged two and four wanted to understand the financial milestones ahead — school fees, childcare transitions, and longer-term considerations — without committing to any financial products until they had a clearer picture of their options.
Programme
They enrolled in the New-Parent Finance Foundations Course. The milestone planning module and the general educational overview of common financial products were the most relevant sections. The clinic session gave them space to work through their specific timeline questions with a facilitator.
Outcome
Completed the course with a five-year milestone map, a clearer understanding of the product categories relevant to their family stage, and a set of questions they felt equipped to ask qualified advisers when they were ready. The reference handbook is in regular use.
"Three months felt thorough. I am no longer anxious about the questions I do not have answers to — I now know which questions to ask and where to look."
Phone
+60 3-3358 7126Address
Level 3, Setia City Mall,
Shah Alam, Selangor
Office Hours
Mon–Fri: 9am–6pm
Sat: 9am–1pm
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