Ex-MB heads Sultan of Kedah honours list

ALOR SETAR: Former Kedah Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Mahdzir Khalid will lead a list of 83 people to be be­­stowed awards in conjunction with the Sul­tan of Kedah Sultan Abdul Halim Mu’ad­zam Shah’s 83rd birthday celebration here today.

Mahdzir will receive the Datuk Seri Maha­wangsa award, a title for those who have earned the distinction of being called “Orang Besar Lapan”.

State Mufti Datuk Syeikh Muhamad Baderudin Ahmad is among four people receiving the Darjah Seri Paduka Seri Setia Sultan Abdul Halim Mu’adzam Shah (DHMS), which carries the title Datuk Paduka.

The three others are State Secretary Datuk Wira Rasli Basir, Royal Malaysian Army chief Jen Datuk Seri Zulkifeli Zain and Tabung Haji Board chief executive officer Datuk Ismee Ismail.

Twelve people will receive the Darjah Kebesaran Gemilang Seri Mahkota Kedah Yang Dihormati (DGMK), which carries the title Datuk Wira, including state finance officer Datuk Mohd Puat Mohd Ali, Universiti Islam Antarabangsa rector Prof Datuk Dr Syed Arabi Syed Abdullah and M. Zain Group of Companies chairman Datuk Jason Goh.

Three people will receive the Datuk Paduka Mahkota Kedah (DPMK), which carries the title Datuk.

Forty-eight people will receive the Darjah Setia Diraja Kedah (DSDK), which carries the title Datuk, including state executive councillor Dr Hamdan Mohamed Khalib, special officer to the Home Minister SAC Datuk Wan Ahmad Najmuddin Mohd, Baling MP Taib Azamuddin Md Taib and international Quran recital competition champion Abdul Hak @ Abdul Ghani Abdullah.

One person will be bestowed the Datuk Setia Diraja Kedah (DSDK Kehormat), which has the title Datuk, while 14 people will receive the Jaksa Pendamai (JP) award.

The investiture ceremony will be held at Istana Anak Bukit here.