KLANG, Oct 25 — His Royal Highness the Sultan of Selangor has graciously conferred First-Class State Honours upon six individuals during the Selangor State Investiture Ceremony, held today in conjunction with the Silver Jubilee celebration of His Highness’s 25-year reign.
The ceremony, which took place at the Balairung Seri of Istana Alam Shah, was graced by the presence of Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah Alhaj, accompanied by the Tengku Permaisuri of Selangor, Tengku Permaisuri Hajah Norashikin; the Raja Muda of Selangor, Tengku Amir Shah; and Datin Paduka Seri Afzaa Fadini Dato’ Abdul Aziz.
Leading the list of recipients is the Orang Besar Istana Dato’ Paduka Syed Budriz Putra Jamalullail Syed Amir Abidin Jamalullail, who was awarded the Seri Paduka Mahkota Selangor (S.P.M.S.), an honour that carries the title of Dato’ Seri for male recipients and Datin Paduka Seri for female recipients.
Also receiving the S.P.M.S. were Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof, Chief Judge of Malaya Tun Wan Ahmad Farid Wan Salleh, and the Executive Chairman of Westports Holdings Berhad, Datuk Ruben Emir Gnanalingam Abdullah.
His Highness also conferred the Dato’ Setia-Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah (S.S.I.S.) upon Orang Besar Diraja Dato’ Richard Alexander John Curtis and the former Legal Advisor of the State of Selangor Dato’ Salim Soib.
This honour carries the title of Dato’ Setia for male recipients and Datin Paduka Setia for female recipients.
A ceremony for the proclamation of titles, the taking of oaths, and the formal act of paying homage (menjunjung duli) by the Orang Besar Istana (Royal Court Dignitaries) and Dato’ Diraja Selangor (Royal Dignitaries of Selangor) was held in conjunction with the Silver Jubilee celebration marking the 25-year reign of Sultan Sharafuddin.
During the ceremony, two individuals were proclaimed as *Orang Besar Istana* namely: Raja Dato’ Reza Alhaj Raja Dato’ Zaib Shah Alhaj, who was conferred the title Engku Sri Paduka Diraja; and Tengku Ezrique Ezzuddean Tengku Ardy Esfandiari Alhaj, who was conferred the title Tengku Orang Kaya Menteri Diraja.
Sultan Sharafuddin also proclaimed the title of Dato’ Diraja Selangor upon the Chairman of the Heart Foundation of Malaysia, Dato’ Dr. Aljafri Tan Sri Abdul Majid, bestowing upon him the title Dato’ Sri Maharaja Diraja.
Recipients of these titles must pledge their loyalty and pay formal homage to the Sultan of Selangor, a tradition observed since the era of Raja Lumu.
Sultan Sharafuddin presented a keris panjang to Muslim recipients and a sword to non-Muslim recipients; following this, the recipients are required to depart from the state of Selangor for a period of seven days, effective today.
Earlier, Sultan Sharafuddin inspected a Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN) Guard of Honour, accompanied by the Selangor state anthem and a 25-gun salute at Padang Mahkota, Istana Alam Shah.
The ceremony was also attended by the Dato’ Menteri Besar Dato’ Seri Amirudin Shari, accompanied by his wife, Datin Seri Masdiana Mohamed, as well as members of the State Executive Council.
