UP confers honorary degree to Malaysian PM Anwar | ABS-CBN

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UP confers honorary degree to Malaysian PM Anwar

UP confers honorary degree to Malaysian PM Anwar

Willard Cheng,

ABS-CBN News

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MANILA — The University of the Philippines on Thursday conferred the degree of Doctor of Laws honoris causa upon Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.

Anwar is not new to the UP community, having visited the university when he was still a student leader. He is now officially part of the community with the honorary doctorate that he received from the Philippines' premiere state university.

The Malaysian leader was recognized by the UP Board of Regents for his commitment for the pursuit of justice and democratic ideals, the attainment of a more inclusive and pluralistic Malaysia even at “great personal cost,” and for being a “shining example to the world that respect for the constitutional process and loyalty to a country and its people can prevail over political differences,” among others.

An expert on Jose Rizal, Anwar was also cited for his scholarship on the Philippine national hero.

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In his lecture, the Malaysian prime minister said Rizal’s works remained relevant and cited two works of the hero, namely "The Philippines A Century Hence" and "Indolence of the Filipino", as he urged ASEAN not to fall into the comfort zone of routine and to remain united in the common cause of peace and stability.

Routine, he said, allowed the world to fall behind its potential and be divided due to the convenience and routine of fake news, misplaced nationalism, islamophobia, and allowed ignorance, racial prejudice, and fascism to thrive.

He urged ASEAN not to remain silent in the face of "egregious" violations of the ASEAN charter by its members, referring to the human rights violations in Myanmar.

The principle of “non-interference is not a license for indifference,” he said.

As he discussed with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Wednesday, Anwar called for new strategies to deal with the violation of human rights and rule of law in Myanmar.

“When I mentioned in Bangkok recently about the need to temporarily cut out Myanmar on account of the blatant human rights violations, it was said in the larger context,” Anwar said.

"To stay true of one of the key ideals of ASEAN which is nothing less than sustained for the cause of justice and the rule of law."

He also urged leaders to uphold justice, compassion, and moral uprightness as they pursue economic growth.

“Economic growth, no matter how robust, and the accumulation of wealth, no matter how vigorous, should never be attained at the sacrificial altar of justice, compassion, and moral uprightness. I believe that it’s only when leaders practice and underscore with justice and compassion find this convergence with economic prosperity will society stay on the path of real and meaningful progress,” the prime minister said.

Before the program ended, Anwar raised his fist and joined the UP community in singing the university hymn, UP Naming Mahal. He also congratulated the university for being a bastion of academic excellence, and societal reform, clamoring for democratic accountability, and for demonstrating its ability to “confront arrogant powers.”

He also commended Filipinos for their “courage and convictions in the cause of democracy.”

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