[UPDATED] Selangor sultan revokes Najib, Rosmah’s titles

KUALA LUMPUR – Selangor ruler Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah has revoked the titles that were conferred by him to former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak and his wife Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor effective immediately. 

In a statement today, state secretary Datuk Haris Kasim said the revocation applies to Najib’s “Datuk Seri” and “Datuk” titles that were awarded in 2004 and 1992, respectively.

Rosmah, meanwhile, has been stripped of her “Datin Paduka Seri” title, which was conferred in 2005.

The decision was made following consultation with the Selangor Council of the Royal Court and in line with the state constitution. 

However, Najib and Rosmah still carry various titles that had been bestowed on them by rulers of other states.

Najib has nine titles from Pahang, Perak, Melaka, Kedah, Penang, Perlis, Sabah and Sarawak; while Rosmah has titles from Pahang, Melaka, Kedah, Sabah and Sarawak.

According to Haris, the rescinding of Najib’s titles follows his 12-year imprisonment beginning August 23 for corruption related to 1Malaysia Development Bhd. 

This is after the Federal Court upheld the high court’s decision that the Pekan MP was guilty of all seven charges in his SRC International Sdn Bhd corruption case and ordered him to begin his sentence immediately.

“In view of this, his Darjah Kebesaran Seri Paduka Mahkota Selangor (S.P.M.S.) Kelas Pertama honorific, which carries the title Dato’ Seri, and the Darjah Kebesaran Dato’ Paduka Mahkota Selangor (D.P.M.S.) Kelas Kedua, which carries the Datuk title, are revoked and cancelled effective September 12,” said Haris in the statement.

The state secretary also noted that Rosmah had been found guilty by the high court on September 1 over one count of soliciting RM187.5 million and two charges of receiving bribes worth RM6.5 million.

“In view of her charges and sentence, her membership of the S.P.M.S. Kelas Pertama, which carries the title Datin Paduka Seri, is rescinded effective September 12.”

On May 10, 2019, the Selangor sultan had suspended the titles that were conferred to the disgraced couple, pending their respective court cases. 

They were similarly stripped of their honorific “Datuk Seri” titles by the Negri Sembilan palace on October 26, 2018, a move that was done “to protect the stature and dignity of the state’s royal institution”. 

Meanwhile, another individual that was stripped of his “Datuk” title today by the Selangor sultan was former Rural Development Ministry secretary-general Mohd Arif Ab Rahman. 

He was found guilty by the sessions court in November 2018 of graft involving S$200,000 (RM644,967) and was sentenced to three years in prison, with the high court later upholding the decision in 2021. 

The revocation applies to his memberships of the Darjah Kebesaran Dato’-Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah Kelas Kedua, Darjah Kebesaran Setia-Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah Kelas Ketiga and Darjah Kebesaran Ahli Mahkota Selangor Kelas Keempat. – The Vibes, September 12, 2022