Mahathir and wife return to their alma mater

auntyaya

Tok wan return after 70 years!! hebat kan !! aku kagum ngan semangat tok wan


IT was a mini reunion for the medicine class of 1947 of the King Edward VII College of Medicine. It was short but sweet and nostalgic for nine of them.
When it was time to leave, Tun Dr Siti Hasmah Mohd Ali could not hold back her tears as she hugged the wife of one of her classmates.
Officials accompanying Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and his wife watched in silence as Dr Siti Hasmah cried.
Dr Mahathir and his wife are in Singapore for a two-day official visit and specially invited to return to their alma mater. The King Edward VII College of Medicine is the predecessor institution of the National University of Singapore (NUS).

The NUS also held a special ceremony to confer on Dr Mahathir an honorary Doctor of Laws in recognition of his outstanding leadership in Malaysia and his contributions to bilateral ties with Singapore.
Dr Siti Hasmah received the NUS distinguished alumni service award as a pioneer and role model for women doctors in Malaysia.
NUS president Prof Tan Eng Chye gave a glowing tribute to both of them, saying the college held special place in the hearts of Dr Mahathir and Dr Siti Hasmah.
“It all began, classmates say, when Dr Mahathir became a frequent visitor to Holne Chase, the hostel for female students where Dr Siti was staying. Since then, the couple have lived a lifetime full of adventure that has included Dr Mahathir’s rise in politics,” he said.
Dr Mahathir in his speech said he valued his time as a student Singapore, telling his young audience in the hall that acquiring new knowledge was essential.
“The old will fade away and the young will substitute the old, so the young must be prepared for greater things,” he said.
Touching on the strong bilateral ties, he said universities in both countries could work together, especially in research work.
At a separate function, the Asean Federation of Engineering Organisations (AFEO) honoured Dr Mahathir with AFEO distinguished honorary patron award for his outstanding services to the engineering profession, AFEO and Asean community.
The Prime Minister said he wanted to be a lawyer but was given a scholarship to do medicine.
“Medicine gives you good foundation to politics. The approach is quite the same. You have a problem, you do x-ray and some physical examination and diagnose the disease and you think about treating the disease.
“Politics is the same. You have a problem and go into origin of the problem and the history. You do proper examination and look into things that contributed to the problem. Once you find out the cause, then you can prescribe the medicine for it,” said Dr Mahathir.