PENANG Governor Tun Ahmad Fuzi Abdul Razak has stripped the state Government’s honorific award to former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak effective today.
In a statement, Penang deputy state secretary (development) Datuk Mohd Zakuan Zakaria said the decision was made in light of Najib’s SRC International conviction and sentence being upheld by the Federal Court last month.
As such, Najib no longer holds the Dato’ Seri Utama title in Penang, which was bestowed on him when he received the Darjah Utama Pangkuan Negeri award in 2009.
On Monday (Sept 12), Selangor ruler Sultan Sharafuddin Shah revoked and cancelled with immediate effect the honorary titles conferred by him upon Najib and his wife Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor, also because of their respective convictions and sentences.
In 1992, the Selangor sultan bestowed upon Najib the Darjah Kebesaran Dato’ Paduka Mahkota Selangor (DPMS) Kelas Kedua, which carries the Datuk title.
In 2004, the Pekan MP received the Keahlian Darjah Kebesaran Seri Paduka Mahkota Selangor (SPMS) Kelas Pertama, which carries the Datuk Seri title.
Rosmah, on the other hand, was bestowed the Keahlian Darjah Seri Paduka Mahkota Selangor (SPMS) Kelas Pertama in 2005. The order carries the Datin Paduka Seri title.
All three titles were suspended by Sultan Sharafuddin on May 6, 2019, after Najib and Rosmah were both charged in court over multiple criminal offences.
Negeri Sembilan also stripped their honorary titles in 2018.
However, as the couple still holds numerous Datuk Seri titles from other states, they remain as Datuk Seris.
On Aug 23, a five-member apex bench rejected Najib’s final appeal in his RM42 mil SRC International corruption case and upheld his RM210 mil fine and 12-year jail sentence.
He is currently serving his sentence in the Kajang Prison.
On Sept 1, the Kuala Lumpur High Court found Rosmah guilty over her RM1.25 bil solar power corruption case and sentenced her to 10 years in jail and an RM970 mil fine.
The former first lady has not been imprisoned as the court stayed the sentence pending disposal of her appeal of the ruling. – Sept 15, 2022
Main photo credit: Reuters
