HONORARY DEGREE FOR MALAYSIAN PM MONDAY

KUALA LUMPUR, March 16 (Bernama) -- Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad
Badawi will be conferred an honorary doctorate in Philosophy in Islamic Thought
and Civilisation by the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM)
Monday.

The university's constitutional head will confer the doctorate to Abdullah
in a special convocation at its Cultural Activity Centre.

According to a statement from IIUM Sunday, Abdullah was chosen for his
contribution towards promoting good governance within societies and goodwill
between people and cultures internationally.

Soon after he assumed leadership of the country, Abdullah made a formal
announcement that the true and correct teaching of Islam should serve as the
basis and inspiration for good governance and development in Malaysia.

"His promotion of Islam Hadhari or civilisational Islam as the comprehensive
approach to the development of mankind, society and country had re-positioned
Malaysia as a progressive Islamic state in the newly-globalised world," the
statement said.

In addition, since becoming prime minister, Abdullah clamped down on
corruption, giving more power to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission
(MACC) and making it easier for the public to reveal corrupt practices to the
authorities.

MACC was formerly known as Anti-Corruption Agency.

The statement said the conferment of the doctorate was just a small measure
for the university community to show its appreciation to Abdullah's
contributions.

-- BERNAMA