KUALA LUMPUR: Chief Justice Datuk Seri Utama Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat headed the list of 42 recipients who received awards from Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah today in conjunction with His Majesty’s official birthday.
On the first day of the investiture ceremony, Tengku Maimun, 60, who was appointed to the post of Chief Justice on May 2, received the award of Darjah Panglima Mangku Negara (PMN) which carries the title ‘Tan Sri’.
Raja Permaisuri Agong Tunku Hajah Azizah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah also graced the investiture ceremony which was held at Balairung Seri Istana Negara here today.
Tengku Maimun who is from Kota Bharu, Kelantan created history when she became the first woman to be appointed head of the country’s highest judiciary body.
Others who were conferred the PMN were Chief Secretary to the Government (KSN) Datuk Seri Dr Ismail Bakar and Malaysian Armed Forces chief Tan Sri Zulkifli Zainal Abidin.
Ismail, 58, was appointed as KSN on Aug 29. He holds a Bachelor of Economics (Hons) degree from the University of Malaya, a Master of Business Administration degree and a doctorate from the University of Hull, United Kingdom.
He has served for 32 years in the civil service and has extensive experience in economic and financial management.
Meanwhile, Zulkifli, 60, was appointed chief of the Malaysian Armed Forces on June 20, 2018 and was Army chief in 2011.
This year, the Yang di-Pertuan Agong will confer awards in several categories to 795 individuals.
Besides the three personalities mentioned, the investiture ceremony today also saw 15 others receiving the Darjah Panglima Setia Mahkota (PSM) which also carries the title ‘Tan Sri’, namely Dewan Rakyat Speaker Datuk Mohamad Ariff Md Yusof, Chief Judge of Sabah and Sarawak Datuk Seri David Wong Dak Wah @ David Wong, Attorney-General Tommy Thomas, Inspector-General of Police Datuk Seri Abdul Hamid Bador, former Public Service Department director-general Datuk Seri Borhan Dolah, Home Ministry secretary-general Datuk Seri Alwi Ibrahim, Treasury secretary-general Datuk Ahmad Badri Mohd Zahir, Principal secretary to the Prime Minister Datuk Badariah Arshad, Army chief Gen Datuk Seri Ahmad Hasbullah Mohd Nawawi, Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN) chief Admiral Datuk Mohd Reza Mohd Sany, and former Federal Court judge Datuk Seri Balia Yusof Wahi.
Other recipients who conferred the PSM are MFDM Holdings group executive chairman Datuk Seri Mahamad Fathil Mahmood, Federation of Malaysian Manufacturers (FMM) president Datuk Soh Thian Lai, Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (UTAR) president and chief executive officer Datuk Prof Chuah Hean Teik and Qatari Attorney-General Ali Mehsin A R Fetais.
Yang di-Pertuan Agong also conferred the Darjah Panglima Jasa Negara (PJN) which carries the title ‘Datuk’ to 21 recipients, namely Director-General of the Implementation and Coordination Unit (ICU) of the Prime Minister’s Department Nor Azri Zulfakar, Director-General of Higher Education Datin Paduka Dr Siti Hamisah Tapsir, Solicitor General II Datuk Siti Zainab Omar, Election Commission Chairman Azhar Azizan Harun, Kuching High Court Judge Supang Lian and Johor Bahru High Court Judge See Mee Chun as well as Director-General of the Forest Research Institute of Malaysia (FRIM) Datuk Dr Abd Latif Mohmod.
Others who received the PJN were Federal Territories Mufti Datuk Seri Dr Zulkifli Mohamad, EC Secretary Datuk Mohamed Elias Abu Bakar, Vice-Chancellor of Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia (UTHM) University Prof Dr Wahid Razzaly, Chief Executive of the Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB) Datuk Ahmad Asri Abdul Hamid, Deputy Principal Private Secretary in the Prime Minister’s Office, Datuk Akbar Samon.
Others were Malaysian Armed Forces Chief of Staff, Lt Gen Datuk Kamalruzaman Mohd Othman, Malaysian Armed Forces Defence Intelligence Division Director-General Lt Gen Datuk Sheikh Mokhsin Sheikh Hassan, Deputy Chief of Navy Vice-Admiral Datuk Khairul Anuar Yahya, Director of the Department of Internal Security and Public Order Datuk Seri Acryl Sani Abdullah Sani, Director of Crime Prevention and Community Safety Department Datuk Seri Rosli Ab Rahman, former periodontic senior consultant in the Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya Federal Territory Health Department Dr Ahmad Sharifuddin Mohd Asari, President of the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) Datuk Hamidin Mohd Amin, founder and chief executive officer of DXN Holdings Berhad Datuk Dr Lim Siow Jin and president of the Malaysian Chinese Muslim Association (MACMA) Prof Dr Taufiq Yap Yun Hin.
At the ceremony today, Al-Sultan Abdullah also conferred the Darjah Panglima Setia Diraja (PSD) which carries the title ‘Datuk’ to Datuk Paduka Maharaja Lela Istana Negara Azuan Effendy Zairakithnaini, Malaysian Ambassador to the Republic of Korea Datuk Mohd Ashri Muda and Protocol Chief in the Ceremonial and International Conference Secretariat Division of the Prime Minister’s Department, Rozainor Ramli. – Bernama
