The University of the Philippines conferred on Thursday, March 2, the degree of Doctors of Laws Honoris Causa to Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim during his two-day official visit in the country.
UP President Atty. Angelo Jimenez led the awarding along with other university officials.
“Anwar Ibrahim is an internationally renowned expert on Jose Rizal and economics, democracy, freedom, governance, Islam and democracy, and the need for accountability,” UP said.
He is respected for his principled stance against corruption and his management of the Malaysian economy during the Asian financial crisis,” it added.
Ibrahim, in a lecture during the ceremony, mentioned the lines by national hero Dr. Jose Rizal about the significance of justice in every country.
“Based on the sense of justice and comparison which is horribly lacking in the world today, it’s all about policies, about ideologies but lacking humanity and compassion,” Ibrahim said.
“Justice is the foremost virtue of the civilizing races, it subdues the barbarous nations while injustice arouses the weakest,” he added.
At the end of his lecture, he acknowledged the efforts of the Philippines in maintaining and standing it as a democratic country.
“Let me congratulate the Philippines and the Filipino people for the courage of the convictions in the course of democracy,” he continued.
He is admired for his principled anti-corruption stance as well as his leadership of the Malaysian economy during the Asian financial crisis. –KC/With a report from Joshua Garcia – gb
