Kelantan ruler revokes Ku Li’s state awards
By G.Manimaran and Shazwan Mustafa Kamal, The Malaysian Insider
Kelantan Ruler Sultan Muhammad V (Tuanku Muhammad Faris Petra) has stripped veteran politician Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah of two state awards this week, although reasons for the newly-installed sultan’s decision are not known.
A source close to the Kelantanese prince popularly known as Ku Li confirmed the news last night after several online blogs had claimed that the Gua Musang MP had been stripped of two state awards, including one usually reserved for royalty.
“Yes, it is true. Two awards. DK (Darjah Yang Utama Kerabat Diraja) and one more, I do not know. I do not know the reasons as well,” the source told The Malaysian Insider.
It is understood that the Kelantan state secretary has confirmed the revocation but has yet to release a statement as done previously.
The Malaysian Insider understands that Tengku Razaleigh will hold a press conference tomorrow, believed to be centred on the removal of his state awards by the new Sultan of Kelantan, who is his grandnephew.
The Kelantan royal palace had also revoked the datukship of Independent Pasir Mas MP and Perkasa president Ibrahim Ali on October 12.
Kelantan government secretary Mohd Aiseri Alias said then that the palace also revoked the title carrying the term “datuk” of former state secretary Wan Hashim Wan Daud, as well as the titles of Tengku Mohamed Shafiei Tengku Ibrahim and Tengku Abu Bakar Tengku Mansor.
He did not state the reason for the revocations.
Tuanku Muhammad Faris Petra was proclaimed Sultan of Kelantan on September 13 this year. Former Kelantan Ruler Tuanku Ismail Petra Sultan Yahya Petra has claimed that Tuanku Muhammad Faris did not have the power to abdicate him to become the state’s new ruler.
Tuanku Ismail Petra had filed two petitions against Sultan Muhammad V (Tuanku Muhammad Faris) to question his powers to reconstitute the Kelantan Council of Succession, the fundamental liberties of the Sultan, and his powers to amend the constitution to authorise the Council of Succession to appoint a successor to the reigning Sultan.
