TWO MALAYSIANS TO BE HONOURED BY JAPAN

KUALA LUMPUR, April 29 (Bernama) -- Two Malaysians, Dr Stephen Leong Mun
Yoon and Dr Lau Poh Yok, are to be honoured by Japan in recognition of their
outstanding contribution to the promotion of academic exchanges and medical
services, respectively, between Malaysia and Japan.

The Embassy of Japan here said in a statement that Dr Leong, who is former
Director for Japan Studies at the Institute of Strategic and International
Studies (ISIS), will be bestowed the "The Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays
with Rosette" while Dr Lau, who is a private medical practitioner at the Medical
Health Clinic of Pantai Hospital in Jalan Bukit Pantai here, will be conferred
"The Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Rays".

"The ceremony to present the decoration will be held in Malaysia on a later
date, which will be announced in due course," it said.

Japan's Ambassador to Malaysia Masahiko Horie will present the awards,
conferred by the Emperor of Japan, it added.

The statement said Dr Leong, 71, was to be honoured for his outstanding
contribution to the promotion of mutual understanding and academic exchanges
between Japan and Malaysia while Dr Lau, 70, was to be awarded for his
outstanding contribution to the promotion of medical services for the Japanese
and friendly relationship between Japan and Malaysia in the field of medicine.

Dr Leong begin his career as the assistant lecturer at the Department of
History, University Malaya, and served from 1967 to 1970 and later became
director of the Centre for Japan Studies at ISIS Malaysia from 1992 to 2008.

He holds visiting fellowships at ISIS Malaysia with a doctorate from the
University of California, Los Angeles, and is currently director of the Centre
for International Studies, Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (Utar).

Dr Lau has strong links with Japan since he graduated from the School of
Medicine, National Nagoya University, in 1968 and received an honorary medical
doctorate degree from National Tianjin Medical University, China.

He practised and studied tropical diseases at the Tropical Disease Centre,
the Institute of Medical Science, Tokyo University, in 1971 before returning
home to join Pantai Medical Centre in 1991.

-- BERNAMA