By DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, June 2: His Majesty, Sultan Ibrahim, the King of Malaysia, has issued a stern reminder that federal awards and titles such as ‘Datuk’ and ‘Tan Sri’ are not for sale nor to be obtained through lobbying, but are reserved only for individuals who are truly deserving and have rendered outstanding service to the nation.
“Titles like Datuk and Tan Sri are not to be bought. If you have too much money, do charity, help the poor,” His Majesty said during the Federal Territory awards, decorations, and medals presentation ceremony in conjunction with His Majesty’s official birthday celebration at Istana Negara in Kuala Lumpur today, as reported by TVS.
Sultan Ibrahim stressed that while there are existing government criteria for nominations, each recommended candidate will still undergo personal evaluation by the King.
“In my view, only those who have long served the government or brought honour to the country deserve to be conferred such awards. Very few meet the criteria each year. Even if some try to lobby, I will not entertain it,” he added.
His Majesty called on award recipients to cherish and take pride in the honour bestowed upon them, emphasising its value and integrity.
Present at the ceremony were Her Majesty, Raja Zarith Sofiah, the Queen of Malaysia, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and his wife Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil, and other Cabinet ministers.
Sultan Ibrahim also expressed his heartfelt appreciation to Malaysians nationwide for their congratulatory messages and prayers in conjunction with his birthday celebration.
“I also thank all parties who contributed to the success of this year’s official birthday celebration.
“Let us pray that our beloved country Malaysia continues to be blessed, peaceful, prosperous, and progressive,” he said. — DayakDaily
