KOTA KINABALU: Chief Justice of Malaysia Datuk Seri Wan Ahmad Farid Wan Salleh, Inspector-General of Police Datuk Seri Mohd Khalid Ismail and corporate leader Datuk Abdul Farish Abd Rashid lead the list of recipients of state awards in conjunction with the 75th birthday of Sabah Yang Di-Pertua Negeri Tun Musa Aman today.
They are among the 1,026 names comprising politicians, officers from armed forces and security forces, academicians, plus business and corporate members given out in a list made available to the media last night.
They will receive the Seri Panglima Darjah Kinabalu (SPDK) award, Sabah’s highest honour, which carries the title “Datuk Seri Panglima”.
A total of 79 recipients, including Musa’s son and Sungai Manila assemblyman Hazem Mubarak, as well as the late Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin’s son, Kurniawan Naim, who is Kinabatangan MP, were awarded the state’s second-highest award, the Panglima Gemilang Darjah Kinabalu (PGDK), which carries the title “Datuk”.
Others to get their Datukship include police force secretary DCP Abdul Rahman Kassim, Kota Kinabalu Journalists Association chairman Jimmy Goh, Universiti Malaysia Sabah senior lecturer and political analyst Prof Lee Kuok Tiung, veteran footballer Henry Saimpon, Sabah Health director Dr William Gotulis, Sabah chief conservator of forests Zulkifli Suara and former karate medallist Michelle Koh.
Among the 117 recipients of the Ahli Setia Darjah Kinabalu are Armed Forces Brigade 5 Chief of Staff Lt-Kol Azmeer Rezza Azali, Sabah journalist Willie Jude Junaidi (managing director of Info X), Sabah Journalist Association president Mariah Doksil, Keningau OCPD Supt Yampil Garai and Azlinah Nineng of Sabah RTM.
For Ahli Darjah Kinabalu, the 192 recipients include Parti Bersatu Sabah youth leader Steve Johnny Mositun, Sabah RTM’s Emran Azmi Rosle as well as artiste and filmmaker Ebi Kornelis.
Sabah Police Commissioner Datuk Jauteh Dikun was among 13 named a Justice of Peace. The others include Datuk John Ambrose, lawyers Datuk Ram Singh and Shahlan Jufri, as well as deputy state secretary (development) Datuk Dr Ahemad Sade.
