Selangor palace snubs Azmin, Datukship for 2 PAS reps

Selangor Menteri Besar Mohamed Azmin Ali (pic) is not part of the 27 who will be receiving royal titles from Sultan of Selangor, Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah, tomorrow. – The Malaysian Insider file pic, December 10, 2014.

Selangor Menteri Besar Mohamed Azmin Ali is not part of the list of 27 award recipients in conjunction with the 69th birthday of the Sultan of Selangor, Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah, tomorrow, quashing rumours that the newly minted MB will be conferred the "Datuk Seri" title.

It is however learnt that two PAS leaders, Iskandar Abdul Samad and Dr Ahmad Yunus Hairi, are on the list to receive awards carrying the title of "Datuk".

Iskandar, who is also Selangor PAS commissioner, and Ahmad Yunus, the Sijangkang assemblyman, are two-term excos with the state government.

It was speculated that Azmin could be conferred the “Datuk Seri” title after the palace’s decision to strip de factor PKR leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s title early this week.

Anwar was stripped of the royal title for repeatedly questioning the integrity of the Selangor sultan and the royal institution during the state menteri besar imbroglio.
This gave rise to allegations by suspended PKR activist Badrul Hisham Shahrin, also known as Chegubard, that Azmin had a role in the Selangor palace’s decision.

There were also voices from the grassroots demanding Azmin to politely refuse if offered the title, saying that accepting it would damage his credibility as both MB and PKR leader.

Observers speculated that if Azmin declined the award, it could invite the wrath of the sultan and further complicate Pakatan Rakyat’s relationship with the palace – since it was the sultan who appointed Azmin as menteri besar over the coalition’s choice, Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail.

It has been common practise that the state chief executive would receive an award from the ruler shortly after being appointed.
For example, during Pakatan’s brief rule in Perak in 2008, where Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin was conferred “Darjah Seri Paduka Mahkota Perak (SPMP)”, carrying the “Datuk Seri” title barely one month after he was in office.

The same was for former Kedah menteri besar Tan Sri Azizan Abdul Razak, who received the “Darjah Seri Paduka Mahkota Kedah (SPMK)” award that carries the 'Datuk Seri' title in 2008.

It is also understood that Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng received a Datukship but declined it on the principle that DAP would not accept any title while in service and holding governmental positions.

Dr Wan Azizah, during a press conference today, said the party had no qualms if Azmin was to receive the title, saying that it is the Sultan's prerogative.

"We won't protest as it is the Sultan's decision. To me, it will not affect our policies or the people."

Azmin over the past few days appeared reluctant to comment on issues relating to the stripping of Anwar's Datukship that later led to such speculation.

State secretary Datuk Mohammed Khusrin Munawi announced two days ago that a total of 27 individuals will receive honorific titles in conjunction with the Sultan's birthday.

He said the state issued nomination forms for state honours and medals on June 16 this year and the submission deadline was August 18.

"A total of 1,663 applications were received. 680 were nominations for state honours and 983 for Selangor state medals.

"Only 27 will receive honours from the 680 applications. All the recipients passed three vetting stages, which are the Royal Malaysian Police, Insolvency Department and Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission," Khusrin said in a statement.

Among the 27 who will receive the honours, two will be given the Seri Paduka Mahkota Selangor (SPMS) award, with the title “Datuk Seri”; one will receive Dato Setia-Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah (SSIS) with the title Datuk Setia; and 24 others will receive either the Dato Paduka Mahkota Selangor (DPMS) award or the Dato-Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah (DSIS) award, which both carries the title of Datuk for men and Datin Paduka for women.

- TMI