Malaysian doctor N. Arumugam has been elected as president of the World Medical Association (WMA), according to the Malaysian Medical Association (MMA) on Monday.

Arumugam was elected after defeating nominees from Hungary and Belgium in two rounds of voting in Santiago, Chile, recently, MMA said in a statement.

It is a great honor for Malaysia on the world medical stage, MMA President Teoh Siang Chin said.

Arumugam would officially assume the post at the WMA General Assembly in South Africa next year, local media reported.

The WMA was formed in 1948 and it currently represents about 5 million physicians from more than 90 countries.

Source: Xinhua