PETALING JAYA: Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia’s pro-vice-chancellor has come forward to refute claims that Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah is linked to Freemasons after a picture of him was being circulated on social media.
Prof Datuk Dr Hanafiah Harunarashid said such a claim was untrue because it was taken when Dr Noor Hisham was receiving the Ad Hominem Fellowship from the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh (RCSEd), a prestigious surgical school dating back to the 16th century.
Dr Hanafiah was quoted in Sinar Harian that the photo linking Dr Noor Hisham to the Freemasons was defamatory.
“The picture of Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham linked to Freemasons and religious ceremonies. This is not true at all.
“In the picture, he was with the college president, Prof Michael Lavelle Jones. I am his witness and have asked RCSEd to make a statement, ” said Dr Hanafiah on his Facebook on Friday (May 21).
He said he made the statement not as a friend or surgeon associate, but as a member of the Board of Directors of RCSEd Malaysia and a former international advisor of RCSEd.
“I am an ordinary human being who wants to tell the truth. If something is wrong, it needs to be told so that we can all stay away from malign.
“I call on everyone to check their facts before spreading anything about any matter. Let us all pray that Allah gives guidance and direction to all of us, ” he added.
Dr Hanafiah also reiterated that Dr Noor Hisham received the award in recognition of his expertise as a renowned surgeon in the field of endocrine surgery, and had nothing to do with Freemasons or religious ceremonies.
RCSEd awards fellowships to outstanding figures from all over the world.
It is learnt that RCSEd, based in Scotland, United Kingdom, is the oldest surgical institution in the world and the college has fellows and members of over 25,000 surgeons from around the world.
Later on the same day, Dr Hanafiah uploaded a separate post a statement from RCSEd, clearing Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah from accusations of Freemasonry.
The letter stated that Dr Noor Hisham had been conferred with the college’s Ad Hominem Fellowship award, among its highest awards given to current or former medical practitioners and individuals of distinction deemed worthy of the honour.
“The Ad Hominem fellowship is one of the highest awards given by the college, granted to current or former medical practitioners or other individuals of distinction whose professional status is of high order and who are deemed worthy of the honour, ” the letter explained.
“The distinction is formally awarded at a ceremony attended by members of the college. During the event, the recipients wear the College’s ceremonial gown and are presented with their diploma by the president, ” it said.
Dr Noor Hisham, it added, was conferred the Ad Hominem Fellowship by the RCSEd’s awards committee on Oct 12,2017. The award was handed to him by the college president, Prof Mike Lavelle Jones on Feb 2,2018.
The letter was signed by RCSEd’s head of international engagement Mariette Naud-Betteridge.
Dr Noor Hisham also shared Dr Hanafiah’s post containing the RCSEd’s statement on his Facebook and Twitter on Saturday (May 22).
“The spreading of fabrications on social media among our society has become rampant with people sharing various fake news and stories that are defamatory in nature.
“Alhamdulilah, the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh has issued an official statement today, ” he said, referring to the allegation.
Earlier, a photo of Dr Noor Hisham standing draped in a black robe with light blue drapings next to a Caucasian man went viral on social media, along with allegations that he was linked to Freemasonry.
