Kelantan cops on the hunt for bogus 'Datuk Seri'

KUALA LUMPUR: Kelantan police are tracking down a man who is believed to be using a fake ‘Datuk Seri’ title, purportedly from the Kelantan royalty.

Kelantan police chief Datuk Muhamad Zaki Harun said the man in question was a 56-year-old known as Mohd Fared Abdul Ghani.

He said a police report was received from a man who had watched a YouTube recording in which the suspect used the title while issuing a statement about the suspension of two members of the Kelantan Boxing Association, broadcast by a local television station.

"Investigations revealed that the 'Datuk' and 'Datuk Seri' titles used by the suspect are fake, as he has never been awarded such titles.

"Therefore, police urge members of the public with information about the individual to contact the Kelantan police headquarters at 09-7455622 or the nearest police station," he said during the Kelantan Police Chief Townhall Programme at Politeknik Jeli on Wednesday (June 5).

In another incident, police detained a local man at a house in Jalan Genting Klang, Setapak in Kuala Lumpur on June 3, following a viral video showing a Bangladeshi national apparently receiving a 'Datuk' title from the Kelantan palace.

Muhamad Zaki said a report was lodged on May 28 after the complainant saw the video on YouTube, showing the Bangladeshi receiving the title.

"In the YouTube recording, the Bangladeshi, dressed in ‘Baju Melayu’ with a kris tucked at his waist, received the title, although the Kelantan palace has never awarded such a title to him," he said, adding that the suspect would be remanded for three days. – Bernama