Fines and a jail term for those who offer illegal awards
THE STAR
KLANG: From now on, anyone caught distributing Selangor honorary awards, honours and medals illegally will be slapped with a heavy fine and can also be sent to jail.
With this, the Selangor government has become the first state in the country to impose heavier penalties for offenders of this crime.
This came into effect after amendments were made to the Emblems and Names (Prevention of Improper Use) Enactment 1962 at the Selangor legislative assembly on Friday.
Under the new enactment, individuals caught peddling honorary awards, medals and emblems face a fine of between RM100,000 and RM200,000, and can be jailed up to three years under Section 283 in the Criminal Procedure Code.
Selangor Ruler Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah had ordered the amendments to be made. In his royal address, when opening the state assembly on Monday, the Ruler said that the fraudulent and illegal act should be stopped.
“As stated in Article 38 of the Selangor state government Constitution, only I as the Sultan of Selangor have the right to confer and create honorary awards, honours and medals in Selangor.
“However, in recent times, I find that activities of giving, selling and using honorary awards by non-accredited individuals, from the palace, as well as the state government, is on the rise,” Sultan Sharafuddin said.
The Ruler said the amendment would stop immoral and unethical activities, as well as protect his sovereignty as the Sultan.
When tabling the amendment, Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Azmin Ali said the fines and punishment provided under the earlier enactment were too low to serve as a deterrent.
Earlier this year, two men were arrested for their alleged involvement in a racket selling memberships of the Selangor royal household.
Police also seized a car which had stickers bearing the Selangor royalty emblems and a yellow licence plate with the inscription “Istana Diraja Selangor” and also “Y.M. Raja Empat Selangor Tengku Luthfi B. Almarhum Tengku Badli Shah”.
By right, only the Sultan and Raja Muda can use the royal crest, Selangor royal title, royal emblem and yellow plates on their vehicles.
In addition, only five groups of people can use special state emblems on their vehicles with the Sultan’s consent. They are Anak-anak Raja Bergelar, royal council members, state executive councillors, Orang-orang Besar Daerah and state assemblymen. The Selangor Palace has never issued any royal emblem or documents to the public to indicate that they are part of the royal household.
Senior lawyer Datuk Salehuddin Saidin said the heavier penalties would not only extend to those found to be distributing state honorary titles and honours, but also to those who solicit them. It was an issue that the Selangor Ruler has been very concerned about, he added.
“Of late, there are so many people who have been misusing the fake Datukships. Previously the laws were very light. Someone could be caught and convicted with a RM150 fine, which is no longer relevant in our current situation,” he said in an interview.
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