SEREMBAN: The Negri Sembilan palace has revoked the Datukship conferred on former Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) vice chancellor Prof Dr Mohd Ekhwan Toriman.
State secretary Datuk Mohd Zafir Ibrahim said the Yang di-Pertuan Besar of Negri Sembilan Tuanku Muhriz Tuanku Munawir has decreed that the Darjah Setia Bakti Negeri Sembilan (DBNS) title bestowed on Mohd Ekhwan be revoked with immediate effect.
Mohd Ekhwan was given the award on Jan 14, 2019.
"This decision is to safeguard the honour and dignity of the Negri Sembilan royal institution," said Mohd Zafir.
On Feb 5, Selangor police chief Datuk Hussein Omar Khan said police had taken the statements of two top management personnel of a local public university regarding defamatory allegations involving Prof Mohd Ekhwan.
The police, he stated, had received two reports from those involved, and their statements have been documented to aid in the investigation.
He said other relevant parties would be called to assist in the investigation, which is being conducted under Section 500 of the Penal Code and Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998.
Before that, allegations of power abuse and misconduct at UKM involving Mohd Ekhwan surfaced on social media.
Mohd Ekhwan had also announced his resignation as UKM vice-chancellor effective Feb 2.
Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abd Kadir confirmed receiving Mohd Ekhwan’s resignation letter adding that the ministry accepted the decision as he had expressed a desire to focus on other matters.
