PUTRAJAYA, March 31 — Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin has agreed to appoint Tan Sri Dr Jemilah Mahmood as the Special Advisor to the Prime Minister on public health.

"She will be responsible to advise the prime minister on the policies and initiatives regarding health matters,” said the Prime Minister’s Office in a statement today.

Dr Jemilah is highly experienced in the medical field and has been involved directly in various humanitarian works locally and internationally.

Dr Jemilah was previously president of the Malaysian Medical Relief Society (MERCY Malaysia) and the under secretary-general of partnerships of International Federation of Red Cross and Crescent Societies.

She was the winner of the Asean Prize 2019, an award handed out with the aim of recognising contributions by individuals or organisations with regard to inculcating the spirit and identity of this region towards the development of an Asean community by 2025.

She graduated as a Doctor of Medicine (MD) from Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) and went on to earn her Masters in Obstetrics & Gynaecology from the same university. — Bernama