“He is the father of Covid-19” – M’sians Disagree With Honorary Doctorate Awarded to PM Ismail

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri was recently awarded an Honorary Doctorate in Medicine by Nihon University in Japan.

One of Japan’s oldest and most prestigious private universities, the award was conferred to Ismail Sabri in recognition of his efforts and contributions in the fight against Covid-19.

According to Bernama, Ismail Sabri who was the Senior Minister and Minister of Defence when the pandemic broke out in early 2020, was entrusted the duty of leading the Security Cluster and to chair every special meeting of Ministers in the fight against Covid-19.

In his acceptance speech, the Prime Minister credited the entire Malaysian Family for standing in solidarity with the government in facing the pandemic.

“Indeed, the award is a great recognition not only for me but for the entire Malaysian Family who has proven our ability to deal with the Covid-19 pandemic in our own way”, he said.

Can fulfilling one’s responsibilities as a Minister gain someone a university degree?

According to The Conversation, “honorary degrees (usually, though not always, doctorates) are awarded by universities to recognise “outstanding achievement in a particular field, or service to the broader community”.

Recipients of honorary degrees are also usually not required to complete any of the normal requirements for that degree.

Another prominent figure who has recently received her honorary degree is Taylor Swift who recently got an Honorary Doctorate in Fine Arts from New York University.

M’sians are outraged

Shocked at the news, netizens have been angrily expressing their disbelief.

“What contribution? Returning from Sabah without having to quarantine?! Did you know that 35,600 of the rakyat have died?”

One user tagged the university’s Twitter account and said that they’ve made a big mistake. “Countless Malaysians lost their lives during the pandemic due to the incompetence of Ismail Sabri“, they added.

However, some found it more amusing than upsetting and made jokes about the PM’s acceptance of the award. One netizen said that, “He’s like the groupmate that doesn’t contribute but gets praised by the lecturer.”

What do you think of the PM’s achievement? Do you think that he deserves it? Let us know in the comments!

Also read: PM is on a 6-Day Visit To Japan To Introduce Concept of 1 Malaysia, Will Deliver Speech in Malay