KLANG: The Selangor Palace is expected to issue a statement on the royal awards that Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said he had returned to the palace.
"We will issue the statement as soon as we have ascertained the awards have been returned," said the Selangor Sultan’s private secretary Datuk Mohamad Munir Bani
when met at the sidelines of the investiture ceremony in conjunction with Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah's 72nd birthday at Istana Alam Shah here Monday (Dec 11).
It was reported that Dr Mahathir returned the two awards he received in 1978 and 2003 last Thursday after Sultan Sharafuddin expressed outrage over remarks the Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Pribumi) chairman made on the Bugis.
Pribumi supreme council member Datuk Dr Rais Husin confirmed that Dr Mahathir had returned the awards to the palace, saying the reason for doing so "is very clear."
The awards were reportedly handed over to a senior officer of the Selangor Sultan at Istana Bukit Kayangan in Shah Alam.
Dr Mahathir, 93, reportedly told a Pakatan Harapan rally in October that Malaysia was being led by a prime minister who came from "Bugis pirates".
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