I did my undergraduate degree in Pharmacy in UK under the MOH scholarship. It is a 4 year program and there is an unwritten rule that we ought to get 1st class honours. Likewise, my counterparts from A*Star are also obligated to graduate with good honours.

In the US, they have the "cum laude" classification system which is the equivalent of honours.

Generally speaking...Yes, there is a need for scholars to graduate with good honours. No doubt about it.