05.07.2009
In the early 1990s, the Penang State Government decided to established a Medical School in order to provide medical training for Malaysian students, who, as qualified doctors, would redress the growing problem of a shortage of local doctors.
In order to assure high-quality medical education, the government sought to find partners in long-established and prestigious medicals schools. Consequently, in 1995 the Penang Medical College entered into partnership with Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, University College Dublin and National University of Ireland, the degrees being conferred as NUI degrees. Each year, the NUI Registrar and representatives of RCSI and UCD travel to Penang for the conferring of the new graduates
On Sunday 5th July, over one hundred new medical graduates were conferred. At the opening of the conferring ceremony, which took place at the Hotel Equatorial, Dr. R Ratnalingam, President of PMC welcomed everyone present, including the Guest of Honour - Yang Amat Berhormat Mr. lim Guan Eng (Chief Minister of Penang), the representatives of the Irish institutions and of the PMC Board of Directors