Dr M conferred Japan's highest award by Emperor Akihito
Bernama
New Straits Times6 November 2018
TOKYO: Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad was conferred the ‘Grand Cordon of the Order of the Paulownia Flowers’ by Emperor Akihito of Japan today.
The conferment of Japan’s highest award follows the huge contributions by the Prime Minister in strengthening bilateral ties.
The conferment ceremony was held at the Imperial Palace here at 9.45am local time (8.45am Malaysian time)
The order is the highest award to be conferred upon foreign statesmen for their contribution towards the bilateral relations between their respective countries and Japan, as well as their contribution to the region.
Dr Mahathir is the third leader from Asia conferred the prestigious award after former Singapore prime Minister the late Lee Kuan Yew and former Indian prime minister Manmohan Singh. He is on a three-day working visit to Japan since yesterday. © New Straits Times Press (M) Bhd
Dr M conferred honorary doctorate by Tsukuba University
Bernama,New Straits Times 17 hours ago
TOKYO: Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad was today conferred an Honorary Degree of the Doctor of Philosophy by Tsukuba University.
Dr Mahathir was conferred the honorary doctorate, which is the highest recognition by the university for his contributions to advance international exchange in the field of research and education, during his visit to the university’s Tokyo campus here.
The doctorate was conferred by the university’s President Prof Kyosuke Nagata.
Earlier, before the honorary doctorate conferment ceremony, Dr Mahathir held a meeting with Nagata.
The Malaysian Prime Minister is on the first day of a three-day working visit to Japan. The highlight of the visit is the conferment of “The Grand Cordon of the Order of the Paulownia Flowers” by the Emperor of Japan tomorrow at Imperial Palace here.
Besides Tsukuba University, the Prime Minister will also visit Toyo University here on Wednesday and his visit to these universities is part of Malaysia’s effort to attract Japanese universities to set up their overseas branch in Malaysia.
The establishment of Japanese universities overseas branch in Malaysia will enable Malaysian students to have access to the Japanese education system at a much lower cost.
At the same time, the students could also learn the Japanese language, values and culture. This could also benefit students from the region. -- Bernama
