PM TO RECEIVE HONORARY DOCTORATE FROM UNIVERSITY

KUALA LUMPUR, March 10 (Bernama) -- Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi
will be conferred an honorary Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Islamic Thought and
Civilisation by the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) next
Monday.

Its rector, Prof Dr Syed Arabi Idid, said Tuesday Abdullah had been
promoting the Islam Hadhari or civilisational Islam as a comprehensive approach
to the development of mankind, society and country and had repositioned Malaysia
as a progressive Islamic state in the newly globalised world.

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

Abdullah would receive the PhD as a symbol to remember him as the fifth
prime minister of Malaysia, he told a news conference here.

Former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad, King Abdullah Abdul Aziz
Al-Saud of Saudi Arabia and the Sultan of Brunei, Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, who
were past recipients of honorary doctorates for from the university, would be
among the guests at the special convocation for Abdullah, he said.

Syed Arabi said Higher Education Minister Mohamed Khaled Nordin and about
1,500 students would also be present.
-- BERNAMA