Awang Bulgiba Awang Mahmud


Awang Bulgiba bin Awang Mahmud is a Malaysian epidemiologist and physician. He has also been the vice chancellor of the University of Malaya since 2017.

Career and education

Awang Bulgiba is the first Malaysian doctor to be awarded a Doctor of Philosophy in Health Information. Prof. Awang Bulgiba is also the first to hold four educational fellowships at the UK Faculty of Public Health, Malaysian Public Health Medicine, the Malaysian Academy of Medicine and the Academy of Sciences. He also holds the position of Secretary-General of the Malaysian Academy of Sciences and President of the Asia-Pacific Public Health Consortium.

COVID-19 pandemic

During the COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia, Awang Bulgiba became known on 30 March 2020, by suggesting that the Movement Control Order was the best step taken by the government in the fight against the coronavirus disease 2019. He recommended that Malaysia need a minimum of six weeks for the virus containment to work. On April 9, he also said that the MCO should be extended due to the low level of public understanding and compliance of Malaysia in the fight against COVID-19. On April 12, Awang Bulgiba also said that the MCO could be ended if the number of new cases continues to decline and the numbers of recovered exceeds those of new cases.

Award