Ku Li’s titles revoked by Sultan of Kelantan

KOTA BARU: Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah has been stripped of two Kelantan state awards by Sultan Muhammad V Tuanku Faris Petra Sultan Ismail Petra effective Dec 2 for making statements that were detrimental to the Ruler.

Kelantan State Secretary Datuk Aiseri Alias said Tengku Razaleigh was stripped of the Darjah Kerabat Yang Amat Di Hormati (DK) and the Darjah Kebesaran Mahkota Kelantan Yang Amat Mulia (SPMK).

He added that Tengku Razaleigh had been formally informed about the revocation of the awards.

Tengku Razaleigh’s alleged statement, he said, had appeared in Sin Chew Daily on Sept 14.

In the statement, Tengku Raza­leigh (or Ku Li, as he is popularly known) had allegedly told reporters outside the Federal Court complex in Putrajaya that the Sultan’s father Sultan Ismail Petra was still alive and had neither left the state for 12 months nor abdicated and therefore his son’s appointment as the acting Sultan at the time was questionable.

“It is His Royal Highness’ prerogative to revoke the titles from anyone because such decision was carefully made by the Sultan himself,” said Aiseri.

He announced the Sultan’s decision at a press conference held at Istana Balai Besar here late yesterday.

State Succession Council member Datuk Shukri Mohamad, who was also present at the press conference, asked a Sin Chew Daily reporter at the press conference to loosely translate the words reported in the Sept 14 article.

“Tengku Razaleigh knew what he had uttered and it is very unprofessional for him to do so,” Shukri said.

Tengku Razaleigh, the Gua Musang MP, is currently the longest serving parliamentarian in the country.

Past media reports had stated that Tengku Razaleigh was a member of the State Succession Council, serving as deputy chairman, at the time of the meeting that confirmed the new ruler’s ascension to the throne, but that he had stayed away from that meeting. He is no longer a member of the council.

Aiseri also announced that the Sultan had revoked two awards – Darjah Kebesaran Jiwa Mahkota Kelantan (DJMK) and Justice of Peace – from a lawyer Dr Yaacob Hussein Marican for also uttering “words” at the Federal Court, but no other detail was provided.

The Kelantan royal palace had also revoked the datukship of Pasir Mas MP and Perkasa president Ibrahim Ali on Oct 12.