Chua shows the Johor royal awards which he has to return to the palace. — Picture by Jack Ooi
PETALING JAYA, June 19 — Former MCA vice-president Datuk Chua Jui Meng today maintained that Umno was behind the move to strip him of his Johor royal awards.
Chua, who joined PKR in July last year, described the action as political intimidation.
“I am sure that by now Umno regrets how badly they miscalculated this attempt to intimidate me,” he told reporters today.
“Within days of the announcement there has been a spontaneous outpouring of support from the rakyat all over Malaysia, not only for myself but more so for Pakatan Rakyat,” he added.
Chua (picture) also revealed today that he was also asked by the secretary to the Johor Royal Council, Datuk Abdul Rahim Ramli, to also return the Pingat Ibrahim Sultan (PIS), which carries no title.
“When Datuk Rahim called me I reminded him I have a third award from Johor, the Pingat Ibrahim Sultan. He told me to also return the medal,” said the former health minister.
“Although no explanation was given, I will return the medals,” he said.
Chua said he received official notification on the revocation from the palace on June 15.
When asked about Umno’s alleged involvement in the withdrawal, Chua said the matter was very clear.
“Don’t have to ask me what I think, ask the people, it is so obvious,” he said.
On June 10, the Johor palace announced the revocation of Chua’s Datukship along with three others.
Chua was awarded the Dato’ Paduka Mahkota Johor (DPMJ) and Seri Paduka Mahkota Johor (SPMJ) by the late Sultan Iskandar when he was in the government.
Rahim, who announced the revocation on behalf of the palace, did not offer any explanation but had said it was made based on reports against certain members of the The Most Illustrious Order of the Crown of Johor.
He also dismissed Umno’s involvement in the decision, saying that the withdrawal of the titles was in line with the Sultan’s right to exercise his power and right under Article 12 of the Statues and Ordinances of the Most Honourable Order and Article 7(f) of the Second part of the Johor State Constitution 1895.
Apart from Chua, Johor’s Sultan Ibrahim Ismail also revoked the Datukship awards from polar adventurer Sharifah Mazlina Syed Abdul Kadir, Commander Shaftdean Lufty Rusland, who is married to the Sultan’s sister, Tunku Muna Najiah Sultan Iskandar, and senior lawyer Hassan Yunos.
2 comments:
This prove how worthless these "awards" are and they are given like children's playthings. They can be "recalled" anytime at the whims and fancies of the giver (or his successor). I just wonder why people are still willing to pay hundreds of thousands to get these titles.
Besides, as I have written on other blogs, this title of "Dato" is actually a HUMILIATION especially to the Chinese. Its origins being from China, a title given to EUNUCHS of the royal courts (gong gong) which was imported to Malacca when Admiral Cheng Ho visited it. Cheng Ho himself was a "gong gong" (dato) and this title was adopted by the ignorant court officials of Malacca then, thinking it was a "powerful" title, without knowing that it was meant to honor a person who has given up the most "precious" thing in his life after being CASTRATED!
I wish to congratulate J.M. Chua for being able to SHED THIS DISGRACE to his ancestors! J. M. Chua can now live a TRULY MANLY LIFE!
Those are all useless medals and awards.
Return to sender , please.
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