Monday, March 15, 2010

No more 'Datuk' for seven


Acting Kelantan ruler Tengku Muhammad Faris Petra will strip certain individuals of the datukship for allegedly being disrespectful of the royal institution, a national daily reported Monday.

Sources told The Star that the names of at least two businessmen, now residing in Kuala Lumpur, had already been included in a gazette for the purpose.

The two men would be asked to return their medals to the Kelantan palace with immediate effect.

The sources told the paper that five others would be asked to do the same, as their names are included in another gazette to be issued by State Secretary Mohd Aiseri Alias.

Move related to tussle with brother

Kelantan palace comptroller Abdul Halim Hamad when contacted by the daily, confirmed the matter but declined to elaborate.

The seven are said to be associates of the acting ruler's brother, Tengku Temenggong Tengku Muhammad Fakhry Petra.

Prior to this, at least eight others, aligned to Tengku Muhammad Faris, had their datukship stripped, purportedly on the orders of the Sultan of Kelantan, Sultan Ismail Petra.

However, the prince revoked the move, declaring that the letter ordering the stripping of the titles was invalid as it was not approved by the palace.

Recently, the acting Sultan also issued a statement reiterating that he is currently the legitimate ruler of Kelantan, despite the return of his father after a 10-month medical leave from the state.—Malaysian Mirror

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