Dr Siti Hasmah to receive nation-building award from Bangkok-based institute

KUALA LUMPUR: Tun Dr Siti Hasmah Mohd Ali (pic) is being conferred the Women’s Nation-Building Award on Tuesday night (Nov 26).

Nation-Building Institute International (NBII) chairman Prof Dr Kriengsak Chareonwongsak said the prestigious award would be presented to the Prime Minister's wife during a gala dinner in conjunction with the International Conference on Nation-Building at a hotel here.

"We are conferring the award in recognition of her contributions in drug abuse control, women’s health, family planning, the development of rural women as well as in adult literacy which have left a great imprint in the field of nation-building, particularly in the social field," he said.

He said this after Housing and Local Government Minister Zuraida Kamaruddin opened the second International Conference on National-Building.

Dr Siti Hasmah said she felt honoured receiving the prestigious award.

"I will value it as much as possible”, she said in a statement.

Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad was conferred the Nation-Building Lifetime Achievement Award (Public Sector) during the conference in Bangkok last year.

In a statement read by Zuraida, Dr Mahathir said conference started off as a Thai initiative but was now recognised as a leading international platform for representatives from government, business, and civil society sectors to discuss issues pertaining to nation-building.

"Undoubtedly the conference provided an avenue to strengthen tri-sector (government, business, and civil society) partnerships and co-operations on issues related to nation-building," he said in a statement.

The Bangkok-based NBII organised the event in collaboration with the Malaysian Institute of Economic Research (MIER) and Centre for Research, Advisory and Technology (CREATE).