Malaysian born eye surgeon gets KNIGHTHOOD from Queen E

Malaysian-born consultant ophthalmic surgeon Dr Khaw Peng Tee was last month knighted by Britain's Queen Elizabeth II during the Queen's Birthday Honours awards for 2013.

Sir Peng Tee, as he can now be called, said he never imagined that he would one day be accorded such an honour, the Star reported.

"This is not something you work towards or expect, so it came like a bolt from the blue! After some reflection, I felt I really received this on behalf of the many people I have worked with and who have supported me throughout my career," said Dr Khaw who is married and has two daughters.

Dr Khaw comes from an illustrious family. He is the youngest son of the late Tan Sri Khaw Kai Boh, a former MCA deputy president, a former housing and local government minister as well as one of the founding fathers of TAR College in the post-1969 period.

After finishing his education at St Johns Institution in Kuala Lumpur, Dr Khaw headed for England in 1970.

After training in both general medicine and ophthalmology, he did a doctorate in cell and molecular biology of ocular wound healing at the UCL Institute of Ophthalmology and University of Florida of the United States.

He is now a consultant ophthalmic surgeon at Moorfields Eye Hospital and the director of the UK National Institute for Health Research Biomedical Research Centre in Ophthalmology at the UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, London.

Dr Khaw has an established record of developing new therapies. He developed surgical techniques, such as the Moorfields Safer Surgery System, which have significantly improved the outcome of glaucoma surgery, and developed new anti-scarring regimens that were eventually adopted internationally.

"It is a great honour but also a great responsibility to make sure I live up to the history that lies behind this award," said Dr Khaw, who added that his parents worked hard all their lives to ensure that their children did well in life.

- TMI