Alleycats's Arumugam and Khatijah Ibrahim awarded Datukships

PEKAN: Pop group Alleycats lead vocalist David Arumugam and evergreen singer Khatijah Ibrahim received their Datukships from the Sultan of Pahang yesterday.

They were conferred the Darjah Indera Mahkota Pahang (DIMP) by Sultan Ahmad Shah Sultan Abu Bakar at Istana Abu Bakar here yesterday.

David, 59, whose real name is Thiagarajan K.R. Arumugam, dedicated the award to his fans.

“If not for them, I would not be here receiving the award.”

He was confident his fans everywhere in the country would remember his unique style of saying “terima kasih” (thank you) to them.

He has 40 years’ involvement in the music industry, as entertainer, as a singer, and member of a pop group (Alleycats).

Khatijah said she is still actively singing despite being busy with her own business.

“This is the greatest moment for me, to receive the DIMP award from Tuanku Sultan Pahang, which shows his concern for artistes,” she added.

Previously, the DIMP award had been conferred on jazz queen Sheila Majid and pop diva Datuk Siti Norhaliza Tarudin.