Unesco director-general Irina Bokova has sung praises for Malaysia's education blueprint, which it said promotes tolerance, respect and mutual understanding.

"In this context, Permata, established upon the initiative of Rosmah Mansor, the First Lady of Malaysia, stands as an outstanding example of inclusion, reaching the most marginalised, through holistic approaches that start at the earliest age, promote values of peace, non-violence and respect for cultural diversity, and improve lifetime opportunities for children and youth," Bokova said.

"Indeed, ‎under the leadership of Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak, the government of Malaysia has taken a firm stance against violent extremism through inclusion and education, which Unesco considers the most effective long-term prevention to forces threatening to divide societies," she added.

This was said in a statement posted on Unesco's website in conjunction with the launch of the Asia Society Center for Global Citizenship Education.

The statement was titled "The Malaysian Example - Partnering with Asia to Prevent Violent Extremism".

The statement comes a day after Rosmah was supposed to receive the 'Lead by Example' award from the Antiquities Coalition, for Permata's accomplishments.

Permata was removed from the list of honorees, however, after the Antiquities Coalition was quizzed by the media about Permata's sources of funding, a spokesperson from the organisation said on Monday.

The award was deferred to next year, but the Prime Minister's Office said in a statement on Tuesday that Rosmah and Permata had declined it.

It said Rosmah made the decision to avoid further distraction from the important work for the children of Malaysia.