No need to dispute doctorate award to PM, says Qualification Agency

PETALING JAYA: There should not be any dispute on the honorary doctorate awarded to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob, says the Malaysian Qualifications Agency (MQA).

MQA said Nihon University was a leading institution in Japan and such awards have their own value where honorary degrees have been awarded by universities in the United Kingdom, United States and Australia.

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In a statement, it said an honorary doctorate was a prestigious award to a selected figure for a significant contribution in a particular field.

The statement was in response to a Twitter user who said that the online MQA system showed that Nihon University was not listed.

The agency said for foreign qualifications not listed in the Malaysian system, the verification process was based on the recognition of the country of origin.

Ismail Sabri was awarded the honorary doctorate in medicine by Nihon University during a six-day official trip to Japan for his efforts and contribution in the fight against Covid-19.