KUALA LUMPUR: Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri'ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah today conferred the Darjah Seri Setia Mahkota (SSM) award, which carries the title 'Tun', to former Chief Justice Tun Richard Malanjum and former FELDA Group chairman Tun Raja Muhammad Alias Raja Muhammad Ali.

The two prominent figures led the list of 44 recipients of the federal awards, honours and medals in conjunction with the King's birthday, at the first investiture ceremony at Istana Negara here.

Malanjum, 69, is the recipient of the SSM award for 2020, while Raja Muhammad Alias is among the total 1,207 individuals conferred with the federal awards and medals this year.

Malanjum was appointed as Chief Justice on July 11, 2018 and has served as the Chief Judge of Sabah and Sarawak from 2006 until 2018 before retiring on April 12, 2019.

Meanwhile, Raja Muhammad Alias, 89, was FELDA Group chairman from 1966 until 2001 and became Yayasan FELDA chairman in 1998.


Present at the ceremony was Raja Permaisuri Agong Tunku Hajah Azizah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah. Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob was also present.

The ceremony today saw Sarawak Chief Minister Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg and Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Acryl Sani Abdullah Sani received the Darjah Panglima Mangku Negara (PMN) award, which carries the title 'Tan Sri'.

Yang di-Pertuan Agong also conferred the Darjah Panglima Setia Mahkota (PSM) award, which also carries the title 'Tan Sri', to 19 individuals including Bank Negara Governor Tan Sri Nor Shamsiah Mohd Yunus and former Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) Board of Directors chairman Tan Sri Syed Zainal Abidin Syed Mohamed Tahir who are the recipients of the PSM award for 2020.

The PSM award recipients for 2021 are Dewan Rakyat Speaker Tan Sri Azhar Azizan Harun; former Transport Minister Tan Sri Liow Tiong Lai; Prime Minister's Special Envoy to the Middle East who is also PAS president Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang; Chief Judge of Sabah and Sarawak Tan Sri Abang Iskandar Abang Hashim; and Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Chief Commissioner Tan Sri Azam Baki.

The other recipients are Foreign Ministry secretary-general Tan Sri Muhammad Shahrul Ikram Yaakob; Sarawak State Legislative Assembly speaker Tan Sri Mohamad Asfia Awang Nassar; International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) president Tan Sri Dr Mohd Daud Bakar; astronomy expert and astrophysicist Tan Sri Prof. Emeritus Dr Mazlan Othman; and Malaysian Institute of Integrity board member Tan Sri Dr Ismail Ibrahim.


Also awarded the PSM are Khazanah Nasional Berhad board member Tan Sri Mohammed Azlan Hashim; Leong Hup International Berhad executive director Tan Sri Lau Eng Guang; The Edge Media Group executive chairman Tan Sri Tong Kooi Ong; former Deputy Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Minister Tan Sri Mohd Shariff Omar; Ikhlas Capital chairman Tan Sri Mohamed Nazir Abdul Razak; LB Aluminium Berhad executive chairman Tan Sri Leow Chong Howa; and Infinity Logistics and Transport Ventures Limited executive director Sri Tan Jyh Yaong.

The King also conferred the Darjah Panglima Jasa Negara (PJN) award which carries the title 'Datuk' to 18 individuals including Court of Appeal Judges Datuk M. Nantha Balan and Datuk Darryl Goon Siew Chye; former national badminton player Datuk Mohmed Misbun Sidek; Celcom Axiata Berhad chief executive officer Datuk Mohamad Idham Nawawi; and Sabah Deputy Chief Minister II Datuk Dr Jeffrey Kitingan.

Al-Sultan Abdullah also conferred the Darjah Panglima Setia Diraja (PSD) award which carries the title 'Datuk' to former director of the Personnel Services Division (Manpower Branch) of the Malaysian Armed Forces Headquarters Major Gen (Rtd) Datuk S. Suriakala who is the PSD award recipient for 2020.

The PSD award recipients for this year are Division Secretary, Human Resource Division of the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Shahrul Kamal Osman and former Assistant of Chief of Staff of Personnel Services of the Malaysian Armed Forces Headquarters Lt Gen (Rtd) Datuk Azlan Abdul Rahman.

-- BERNAMA