The Sultan of Selangor, Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah, has decreed that the state awards and titles conferred on former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak and his wife Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor be suspended with effect from May 6.

Selangor State Secretary Datuk Mohd Amin Ahmad Ahya, in a statement here today, said the suspension order was made because the two individuals are facing several charges in court involving corruption, criminal breach of trust, Inland Revenue Board cases, and money laundering.

“The suspension of the titles and use of the state awards conferred by the Sultan of Selangor will be reviewed after the cases have been disposed of in court.

“The suspension is in line with the powers of His Highness under the Selangor Constitution 1959, related Awards Statute and convention practised in the state of Selangor,” he said.

According to Mohd Amin, Najib was awarded the First Class Darjah Kebesaran Seri Paduka Mahkota Selangor (SPMS), which carries the title Datuk Seri, in 2004 and the Second Class Darjah Kebesaran Datuk Paduka Mahkota Selangor (DPMS), which carries the title Datuk, in 1992.

Rosmah was conferred the Darjah Kebesaran Seri Paduka Mahkota Selangor (SPMS), which carries the title Datin Paduka Seri, in 2005.

Mohd Amin said Sultan Sharafuddin also decreed that the Darjah Kebesaran Datuk – Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah (DSIS), which carries the title Datuk, awarded to former executive chairman and director of Syarikat NGV Tech Sdn Bhd, Zulkifli Shariff, be withdrawn and annulled effective May 6.

He said this was because Zulkifli was no longer qualified to hold the award after he had been declared a bankrupt by the Malaysian Department of Insolvency.

Mohd Amin said Zulkifli is prohibited from using the award and the Datuk title and in fact, all parties are not allowed to address him by that title as it had been annulled.

–Bernama