New Bill to monitor awards and medals

A law will be enacted to regulate the conferment of honorary awards and medals, says Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim.

He said only awards and medals conferred by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, sultans and Yang di-Pertuan Negeri are recognised in the country.

The number of recipients – including the deceased – of federal awards which carried the titles Tun, Tan Sri and Datuk was 2,049, he added.

“At present, there is no law governing recipients of awards and medals from outside the country.

“Maybe the people know about it, but were willing to accept the awards or medals due to specific agreements between them. Not all awards and medals are not recognised.

“The Government plans to enact a law governing such awards and medals.

“It will make clear that only the King, the sultans and governors can confer the awards,” he told Datuk Othman Aziz (BN – Jerlun).

Othman wanted to know the status of individuals who had received awards which carried the titles Datuk and Datuk Seri from abroad.

To a question from Nga Kor Ming (DAP – Taiping) on the problem of people with bogus titles, Shahidan said the new law would bind the recipients of honorary titles to a set of regulations which prevents the abuse of honorary titles as well as special emblems.

Shahidan said the Amendment to the Emblems and Names (Prevention of Improper Use) Act 1963, prohibits receipt of unrecognised titles.

It had been proposed in December last year but was later withdrawn.

Under the Bill, those who knowingly receive honours, including Datukships, from any self-proclaimed Head of State not recognised by the Government, may be jailed for at least five years.

In another function at Parliament House, two political secretaries took their oaths of secrecy before Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.

Chumang Nyambong was appointed political secretary to the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Joseph Entulu Belaun and Mohd Rafi Alli Hassan was appointed political secretary Federal Territories Minister Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor.

Chumang previously served as a district officer in Julau, Sarikei, while Mohd Rafi was the Labuan Umno youth chief.