By Norshazlina Nor'azman
KUALA LUMPUR (Bernama) -- During question and answer session at the Dewan Rakyat on Tuesday, Datuk Othman Abdul (Pendang-BN) had asked a supplementary question on the revocation of honorary titles from recipients who had committed criminal offences.
Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Dr Shahidan Kassim, in his reply, said only the presenter of the award had the authority to withdraw it.
Of late, social media platforms have been abuzz with suggestions that recipients of state and federal awards be stripped off their titles if they were found to have flouted the law. Many social media users shared the opinion that titled people should take good care of their image and status, in keeping with the honour bestowed on them.
The issue of revoking titles also arose back in June 2004 when the then Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Mohd Johari Baharum said the government was studying a proposal to withdraw titles conferred on individuals who were found to be involved in criminal activities.
PAST CASES OF WITHDRAWALS
There is nothing new about awards and titles being revoked from their recipients, as exemplified by some Sultans who had stripped certain individuals off their honours for various reasons.
The latest was in December last year when the Sultan of Selangor, Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah, revoked the Datuk Seri title that he had conferred on Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. The revocation, effective Nov 3, came about after Anwar questioned the integrity and power of the Selangor Sultan, as well as the institution of monarchy, to resolve the impasse surrounding the appointment of the new Selangor menteri besar.
But the Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) de facto leader still holds the Datuk Seri title as he had been conferred similar awards by other states, among them Perlis, Perak, Sabah, Negeri Sembilan, Melaka and Pahang.
In October 2010, the Sultan of Kelantan, Sultan Muhammad V, revoked an award, which carried the Datuk title, he had conferred on Perkasa President Datuk Ibrahim Ali, but the reasons for the withdrawal were not announced to the public.
Earlier, in October 2004, the Sultan of Pahang withdrew two awards, which carried the Datuk Seri and Datuk titles, from two individuals who were found to have been involved in criminal activities, including having connections with the underworld.
IS REVOCATION NECESSARY?
Does criminal involvement provide sufficient basis to justify the withdrawal of a state or federal award?
In his reply, Asso Prof Dr Sivamurugan Pandian, who is a lecturer at Universiti Sains Malaysia's (USM) Centre for Social Science Studies, stressed that any decision to revoke an award or title was the sole prerogative of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Sultan or Governor of the state concerned.
He said the withdrawal of an award or title was not an unusual practice as certain rulers, including the Sultans of Selangor and Johore, had done it previously for various reasons.
"It's only the palace which has the absolute right to make such a decision, based on applicable rules and guidelines. Hence, it's up to the palace to withdraw a certain award, without any influence from outside.
"Whether or not this practice (of revoking the title of an individual who had committed a criminal offence) should be institutionalised depends on the palace... if it is, then it should apply to all and not just certain individuals only," he said, when contacted by Bernama.
RETURN THE AWARDS
Sivamurugan said this was to avoid unnecessary disputes over the issue and preventing it from being used as political fodder by the opposition.
"For example, if only Anwar is subject to the revocation, then people will ask why it is only being done now and not in 1999 when he was also jailed... various issues will arise," he said.
Sivamurugan, however, felt that Anwar should return all the awards he had received if he continued to question the integrity of the institution of monarchy and had no faith in it.
"... he may have received the awards when he was in the government but he should return them if he continues to criticise the royalty," he said.
DISCRETION
Meanwhile, Prof Dr Ahmad Atory Hussain, a lecturer at USM's Centre for Social Science Studies, said it was usual for an award or title to be revoked from a recipient after he had committed a criminal offence.
Nevertheless, he pointed out, there were still individuals who managed to keep their awards and titles intact, despite their criminal records.
"It's up to the presenter... it's also up to the menteri besar or Prime Minister to advise the Sultan or Yang di-Pertuan Agong to withdraw the title of any individual," he said.
He said while it was not wrong for the people to air their views, they could not forcefully demand the revocation of a person's title, as the decision rested with the palace concerned.
"Furthermore, if one palace withdraws the award and title it had conferred on an individual, he could very well still flash his title as it is likely that he would have received similar awards from other states. So the revocation doesn't really have an impact on him," he added.
-- BERNAMA
KUALA LUMPUR (Bernama) -- During question and answer session at the Dewan Rakyat on Tuesday, Datuk Othman Abdul (Pendang-BN) had asked a supplementary question on the revocation of honorary titles from recipients who had committed criminal offences.
Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Dr Shahidan Kassim, in his reply, said only the presenter of the award had the authority to withdraw it.
Of late, social media platforms have been abuzz with suggestions that recipients of state and federal awards be stripped off their titles if they were found to have flouted the law. Many social media users shared the opinion that titled people should take good care of their image and status, in keeping with the honour bestowed on them.
The issue of revoking titles also arose back in June 2004 when the then Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Mohd Johari Baharum said the government was studying a proposal to withdraw titles conferred on individuals who were found to be involved in criminal activities.
PAST CASES OF WITHDRAWALS
There is nothing new about awards and titles being revoked from their recipients, as exemplified by some Sultans who had stripped certain individuals off their honours for various reasons.
The latest was in December last year when the Sultan of Selangor, Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah, revoked the Datuk Seri title that he had conferred on Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. The revocation, effective Nov 3, came about after Anwar questioned the integrity and power of the Selangor Sultan, as well as the institution of monarchy, to resolve the impasse surrounding the appointment of the new Selangor menteri besar.
But the Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) de facto leader still holds the Datuk Seri title as he had been conferred similar awards by other states, among them Perlis, Perak, Sabah, Negeri Sembilan, Melaka and Pahang.
In October 2010, the Sultan of Kelantan, Sultan Muhammad V, revoked an award, which carried the Datuk title, he had conferred on Perkasa President Datuk Ibrahim Ali, but the reasons for the withdrawal were not announced to the public.
Earlier, in October 2004, the Sultan of Pahang withdrew two awards, which carried the Datuk Seri and Datuk titles, from two individuals who were found to have been involved in criminal activities, including having connections with the underworld.
IS REVOCATION NECESSARY?
Does criminal involvement provide sufficient basis to justify the withdrawal of a state or federal award?
In his reply, Asso Prof Dr Sivamurugan Pandian, who is a lecturer at Universiti Sains Malaysia's (USM) Centre for Social Science Studies, stressed that any decision to revoke an award or title was the sole prerogative of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Sultan or Governor of the state concerned.
He said the withdrawal of an award or title was not an unusual practice as certain rulers, including the Sultans of Selangor and Johore, had done it previously for various reasons.
"It's only the palace which has the absolute right to make such a decision, based on applicable rules and guidelines. Hence, it's up to the palace to withdraw a certain award, without any influence from outside.
"Whether or not this practice (of revoking the title of an individual who had committed a criminal offence) should be institutionalised depends on the palace... if it is, then it should apply to all and not just certain individuals only," he said, when contacted by Bernama.
RETURN THE AWARDS
Sivamurugan said this was to avoid unnecessary disputes over the issue and preventing it from being used as political fodder by the opposition.
"For example, if only Anwar is subject to the revocation, then people will ask why it is only being done now and not in 1999 when he was also jailed... various issues will arise," he said.
Sivamurugan, however, felt that Anwar should return all the awards he had received if he continued to question the integrity of the institution of monarchy and had no faith in it.
"... he may have received the awards when he was in the government but he should return them if he continues to criticise the royalty," he said.
DISCRETION
Meanwhile, Prof Dr Ahmad Atory Hussain, a lecturer at USM's Centre for Social Science Studies, said it was usual for an award or title to be revoked from a recipient after he had committed a criminal offence.
Nevertheless, he pointed out, there were still individuals who managed to keep their awards and titles intact, despite their criminal records.
"It's up to the presenter... it's also up to the menteri besar or Prime Minister to advise the Sultan or Yang di-Pertuan Agong to withdraw the title of any individual," he said.
He said while it was not wrong for the people to air their views, they could not forcefully demand the revocation of a person's title, as the decision rested with the palace concerned.
"Furthermore, if one palace withdraws the award and title it had conferred on an individual, he could very well still flash his title as it is likely that he would have received similar awards from other states. So the revocation doesn't really have an impact on him," he added.
-- BERNAMA
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