KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 4 – Mercy Malaysia founder Dr Jemilah Mahmood was the first Malaysian to receive the Asean Prize and US$20,000 for her humanitarian and disaster relief work in the region.
She received the Asean Prize 2019 in Bangkok, Thailand, yesterday during the Asean Summit.
Dr Jemilah is the founder of Malaysia’s first medical and humanitarian charity, Mercy Malaysia, and is currently the under secretary-general for partnerships at the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland.
Dr Jemilah started Mercy Malaysia in 1999 to provide volunteer medical and health aid for the Kosovo war; and led the organisation for 10 years before leaving for IFRC in 2009.
“The Asean Prize is a prestigious regional award which aims to acknowledge the inspiring and outstanding achievements of an individual or organisation in promoting the Asean identity, spirit and championing its way,” according to the Malay Mail.
Dr Jemilah in the past has been conferred with various awards and prizes for her humanitarian work and peace advocacy, including the “Isa Award for Services to Humanity” from the Kingdom of Bahrain and the “Gandhi, King, Ikeda Award” by Morehouse College USA (Martin Luther King Chapel).
