KUALA LUMPUR: Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah has congratulated Professor Datuk Dr Adeeba Kamarulzaman on being named the Tokoh Akademik Negara (National Academic Figure) for 2023. In an Instagram post by Istana Negara, His Majesty expressed joy and pride, describing the award as recognition of Dr Adeeba’s achievements in Malaysia and on the international stage. Al-Sultan Abdullah commended Dr Adeeba’s hard work, accomplishments, and contributions to medicine, infectious disease research, and medical advocacy. The post also mentioned that His Majesty wished Dr Adeeba continued success. The award was presented to Dr Adeeba by Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin at the 15th National Academic Awards (AAN15) ceremony on October 31. With more than 30 years of experience, Dr Adeeba is a national infectious disease expert and a renowned scholar in medicine and infectious disease research. She was the first Malaysian appointed as Commissioner of the Global Commission on Drug Policy and a member of the World Health Organisation (WHO) Science Council. In addition, Dr Adeeba made history as the first Asian president of the International AIDS Society. During the Covid-19 pandemic, Dr Adeeba, who is also the chairman of the Malaysian AIDS Foundation, played a crucial role as a government consultant and Head of the Task Force on Controlling Covid-19 to combat the spread of the virus.
Al-Sultan Abdullah also congratulated Helen Selvanathan on becoming the first Malaysian to receive the Women in Tech Asia Pacific Best Ally Award for 2022. The award, presented on Tuesday, is a tribute to exceptional women, initiatives, and organizations that are shaping the future of technology and inspiring the next generation. In a separate post, Al-Sultan Abdullah wished Helen continued success. Helen is involved in information technology and is a member of the National Association of Women Entrepreneurs Malaysia (NAWEM) and CEO of Action Network. – Bernama
