Sarawak Premier among 58 conferred state awards

KOTA KINABALU (Oct 5): Fifty-eight individuals received state awards from the Yang di-Pertua Negeri Sabah, Tun Juhar Mahiruddin, in conjunction with the 71st official birthday celebration at Istana Seri Kinabalu on Saturday.

They were among the 1,376 award recipients announced on Friday.

Heading the recipients was Sarawak Premier Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Abang Openg who was conferred the prestigious Seri Panglima Darjah Kinabalu (SPDK).

Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Christina Liew Chin Jin, Inspector-General of Police, Tan Sri Razarudin Husain, and chairman of the Special Task Force Committee for the Indian Community Transformation Unit (MITRA), Datuk Kumar Prabakaran, also received the honor, which carries the title “Datuk Seri Panglima”.

The investiture ceremony which was graced by the presence of his wife, Toh Puan Norlidah R.M. Jasni, and Chief Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Haji Hajiji Haji Noor, also saw the Assistant Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Industry Sabah, Datuk Peto Galim, Tanjung Kapor assemblyman Datuk Ben Chong Chen Bin and Banggi assemblyman Datuk Mohammad Mohamarin, receiving the Panglima Gemilang Darjah Kinabalu (PGDK) award, which carries the title “Datuk.”

The PGDK recipients were the commander of the 5th Brigade in Lok Kawi Camp, Brigadier General Datuk Mohd Zamri Abdullah, Chief Syarie Judge Datuk Ahadin Arine, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Industry Sabah, Leonard Stephen Poyong, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Community Development and People’s Well-being Sabah, Maria Chong, and Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Tourism, Culture, and Environment Sabah, Josie Lai Mei Sing.

Tun Juhar also conferred letters of appointment as Justices of the Peace (JP) to six individuals, including Deputy Chief Minister II Datuk Seri Panglima Dr Joachim Gunsalam, Minister of Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives, Datuk Ewon Benedict, and Vice-Chancellor of Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Datuk Kasim Mansur.