Let me begin by extending a warm welcome to His Excellency Emomali Rahmon, President of the Republic of Tajikistan and members of the President’s delegation of Ministers, senior officials and corporate leaders.
I hope the visit has been as productive as you would have wanted and at the same time enjoyable as Malaysia has always been a good friend of Tajikistan.
With this State Visit by the President, the bond that binds our two countries together will further strengthen for sure.
Allow me now to thank each and everyone for being here to join us at this very special occasion.
I am indeed, most honored that His Excellency has made this special journey to this campus endorsing it as a most cherished and historic occasion for all of us who are present here today.
It has been two years since I last visited Dushanbe. And ever since then, I have been working to invite the President to visit Malaysia. So to me personally, this State Visit by the President is of very special significance.
His Excellency will be pleased to know that this campus is home to students from 165 countries. And that our Tajik students, although not that many, stand out most prominently at all cultural activities.
Today we take pride in recognizing the inspiring leadership of His Excellency Emomali Rahmon, President of the Republic of Tajikistan, with the Honorary Doctorate of Leadership.
There are many reasons why the President is such an admired person and leader in his country.
He led his country from the disaster of civil war to the peaceful and prosperous country that it is today.
He transformed the economic and social life of the Tajik nation and rapidly established Tajikistan’s international reputation as a progressive country.
He re-engineered his country’s education system and made primary and lower secondary education compulsory and free.
He has been instrumental in the National Strategy for Education Development 2020 with the goal of ensuring universal access to high quality education; including for people with disabilities.
Internationally, he is known to be a man of peace, a voice of reason.
He is a strong advocate of environmental sustainability and has spoken several times at the United Nations on water sustainability and protection against terrorism and religious extremism.
He is seen as a father figure and personification of the Tajik nation’s ideals and aspirations.
To many across Central Asia and elsewhere in the world, he is a strong leader determined to build a strong nation.
In 1999, he was named “Hero of Tajikistan” by the nation’s parliament in recognition of his immense contribution to nation-building.
Today we acknowledge His Excellency’s courageous and visionary leadership that has made him a hero in his country, and a much respected leader in so many parts of the world.
Today we confer upon His Excellency, the President of the Republic of Tajikistan the Honorary Doctorate of Leadership.
On behalf of everyone on this campus and in this hall, may I extend to His Excellency once again my heartiest congratulations.