KUALA LUMPUR: Former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said he gave back the two awards because he felt that he did not deserve them anymore.
This was the reason given by the Pakatan Harapan chairman on why he decided to return the two awards he received from the Selangor palace.
“I don’t think he (Sultan of Selangor) thinks I am fit enough to be decorated (with such recognition).
“I was decorated because he thinks I deserved them. But now, (since) I am going to burn the whole country, so I think I don’t deserve them anymore,” he told reporters.
When asked if he planned to return his other medals as well, he replied: “Why should I?”
Earlier today, the Selangor Council of the Royal Court confirmed that Dr Mahathir and wife, Tun Dr Siti Hasmah Mohd Ali had returned their state royal awards to the Sultan of Selangor on Dec 7.
In a statement, council secretary Hanafisah Jais said Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah has accepted the return of the titles.
“The Sultan of Selangor is agreeable to the return of the titles by Dr Mahathir and Dr Siti Hasmah, without objection.
“The act to gazette the cancellation of the awards will be carried out in accordance with procedures and processes that have been set,” said Hanafisah.
Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah, in a recent interview with an English daily, had said Dr Mahathir, who is also Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia 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.