Datukships taken away from at least three other politicians
(The Star) – Opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim is the latest high profile politician to have a “Datukship” revoked but he is not the only one.
Selangor Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah, who revoked Anwar’s Seri Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah award which carries the title Datuk Seri effective Nov 3, had also stripped former Mentri Besar Dr Mohamad Khir Toyo of the title in 2011.
Dr Khir, then facing graft charges, had his Datuk Seri title “suspended” with the condition that it would be reviewed if he was found innocent and free of wrongdoing.
He was subsequently found guilty in December 2011 and sentenced to 12 months jail. The title had yet to be returned to him.
Perkasa president Datuk Ibrahim Ali had his Datukship revoked by the Kelantan palace in 2010.
No reason was given for the revocation while Ibrahim was an independent MP of Pasir Mas.
He was conferred the title in 2003 by then Kelantan ruler Sultan Ismail Petra. He was also conferred Datukships from Malacca in 1994 and Selangor in 1999.
Former Health Minister Datuk Chua Jui Meng had two Datukships revoked by the Johor palace in 2010.
Chua, a former MCA vice-president, left the party and joined the opposition PKR a year earlier and was serving as a supreme council member when the award was revoked.
Chua also received Datukships from Pahang and Selangor in 2002 and 2003 respectively.
On Thursday, the Selangor Palace said Anwar had been stripped of the title conferred to him in 1992 because he had “repeatedly questioned the integrity of the Sultan in dealing with the Selangor Mentri Besar crisis, and also questioned other issues pertaining to Islam.”
Anwar, too, has Datukships conferred upon him from nearly all the states in Peninsular Malaysia.
