KUALA LUMPUR, May 16 (Xinhua) -- Malaysia can be a leading force in helping the West understand the Muslim world, Queen RaniaAl Abdullah of Jordan said here on Friday.

    This was because Malaysia had set many examples, a powerful contradiction to a lot of negative stereotypes from the West, said Queen Rania, who accompanied her husband King Abdullah II Al-Hussein on a two-day visit to Malaysia.

    "Some believe, for example, that Islam is incompatible with economic dynamism. But here in Malaysia, a Muslim-majority nation, you have had surging growth rates for years, and you have built yourself into one of the world's most competitive trading powers," she said after receiving an honorary doctorate degree in international relations from Universiti Malaya.

    "Some believe that women in Muslim societies are oppressed. Buthere in Malaysia, women are making strides in every sector - from politics and government to business and banking to university vice-chancellor," Malaysian national news agency Bernama quoted Rania as saying.

    Queen Rania and her husband, King Abdullah II, arrived in Malaysia on Thursday.