Quoting Dr Mahathir, Professor Chong Yap Seng, Dean-designate of the NUS Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, said: “Malaysia’s longest-serving Prime Minister and the world’s highest-ranking elected statesman returned early to lead his country’s government this year, giving stunning proof of his unwavering love for Malaysia and desire to advance the economic growth and prosperity of his countrymen, is in many eyes a living example of bold leadership and unwavering resilience.”
In a brief speech after receiving his doctorate from Madam Halimah, Dr Mahathir said: “I would like to thank you very much for this unique honor of being awarded an honorary Doctor of Laws by the National University of Singapore. I will treasure this honorary doctorate for the rest of my life.”
He arrived on Monday on his first official visit to Singapore since retiring after 15 years and resuming his position as prime minister. The 93-year-old leader was previously prime minister from 1981 to 2003. He took office again in May 2018 after leading the Pakatan Harapan (Alliance of Hope) coalition to victory within the Malaysian general election.
From 1947 to 1953 he studied on the King Edward VII College of Medicine, which is now a part of NUS.
At the university, he met his wife, Tun Dr Siti Hasmah Mohamad Ali (92), who on Tuesday received the Alumni Outstanding Service Award from NUS for her contributions to public health and being an inspiring role model for ladies doctors in Malaysia.
To the laughter of the 600-strong audience, which included Dr Mahathir’s medical class in 1947, NUS president Professor Tan Eng Chye said in his speech: “It all began, as my classmates say, when Tun Dr Mahathir stood became a frequent guest at Holne Chase, the coed hostel where Tun Dr Siti lived.”
“Since then, the couple has enjoyed a lifetime of adventures that included Tun Dr Mahathir’s dramatic rise in politics to become the fourth Prime Minister of Malaysia in 1981, and an even more stunning comeback as the seventh Prime Minister of Malaysia in 2018.” – he said.
Past recipients of NUS’s honorary doctorate in law include Singapore’s late founding Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew and Sultan of Brunei Hassanal Bolkiah.
Known for his brazenness and sharp remarks during his first term as prime minister, there have been fears that Dr Mahathir’s return would test relations between close neighbors Singapore and Malaysia.
Notably, through the first six months of the brand new administration, Malaysia reopened the water supply agreement between the 2 countries and, although with Singapore’s consent, postponed a high-speed rail project connecting Kuala Lumpur with the city-state.
On Tuesday, Dr Mahathir allayed these fears.
“Singapore and Malaysia remain good neighbors,” Yong Siew Toh told the gang of NUS students, staff and alumni, diplomats and guests of the NUS Conservatory of Music.
“Yes, we have problems, there may be some competition between us, but overall we managed to solve these problems in a very peaceful way. Many countries should take note of this.”
