Surgeons college clarifies award after conspiracy theorists link DG to Freemasons

 

Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh has clarified an award it presented to Health Ministry director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah in 2018.

This was after conspiracy theorists recently used pictures of the award ceremony to claim that Noor Hisham was attending a Freemason religious event.

Freemasonry is a fraternal organisation that traces back to medieval crafts guilds but has become a subject of conspiracy theories.

Noor Hisham shared the clarification by the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh's head of international engagement Mariette Naud-Betteridge for the Malaysian office on social media today.

"Spreading slander on social media has become widespread in society with the circulation of fake news.

"Alhamdulillah the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh has issued an official statement," he said.

The royal college said it awarded the Fellowship Ad Hominem to Noor Hisham, one of its highest awards. 

It said the award is granted to current or former medical practitioners or other individuals of distinction whose professional status is of a high order and who are deemed worthy of the honour.

Health director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah during the award ceremony. 

“The distinction is formally awarded at a ceremony attended by members of the college. During the event, the recipients wear the college ceremonial gown and are presented with their diploma by the president.

“Noor Hisham was awarded a Fellowship Ad Hominem by the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh’s Award Committee on Oct 12, 2017.

“This award was subsequently presented to him by the President of the College Mike Lavelle-Jones on Feb 2, 2018,” said Naud-Betteridge.

Naud-Betteridge added that the award recognises Noor Hisham’s achievements in the medical and surgical field and his many years of support for the college.

 - Mkini