KLANG: The Selangor palace is expected to issue a statement tomorrow pertaining news reports suggesting that Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad had returned two awards he had received from the Sultan of Selangor.
The awards include the highest order awarded by the state, an online portal quoted an unnamed source as saying.
The Sultan’s private secretary Datuk Munir Bani, when asked to verify the news today, said he is unable to confirm the matter yet.
He said he would check on the matter and issue a statement if it is true.
“We will issue a statement tomorrow if the matter has been confirmed. We cannot it confirm today since the office is closed," he told reporters at the Istana Alam Shah here today.
Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah, in a recent interview with an English daily, had said that former prime minister Dr Mahathir, who is also Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (PPBM) chairman, “will burn the whole country with his anger”.
The Sultan had said this when asked on Dr Mahathir’s remarks against the Bugis community, in which the former premier had allegedly compared them to pirates in his speech at the Love Malaysia, Anti Kleptocracy rally on Oct 14.
PPBM headquarters when contacted said the office had not received any information on the matter.
Dr Mahathir's assistant, Sufi Yusoff, could not be reached for comments.
An online portal today reported that Dr Mahathir had returned the two awards last Thursday, which were handed over to a senior officer at the office of the Sultan of Selangor at Istana Bukit Kayangan in Shah Alam.
Meanwhile, Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Azmin Ali, who is also PKR deputy president when asked on the matter, said he was in the dark.
“What? I was not informed about this… this is between Dr Mahathir and the palace. It has got nothing to do with the state government,” he added.
PPBM headquarters when contacted said the office had not received any information on the matter.
Dr Mahathir's assistant, Sufi Yusoff, could not be reached for comments.