Melaka: Chief Justice Datuk Seri Wan Ahmad Farid Wan Salleh topped the list of distinguished individuals receiving state awards and medals during the 76th birthday celebrations of Melaka's Yang Dipertua Negeri, Tun Mohd Ali Rustam, at Seri Negeri today. He was honored with the Darjah Utama Negeri Melaka (DUNM), which grants the prestigious title of Datuk Seri Utama.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, Minister of Tourism, Arts, and Culture, Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing, and the Chief of Defence Force, General Tan Sri Mohd Nizam Jaffar, were honored with the Darjah Gemilang Seri Melaka (DGSM), conferring upon them the title of Datuk Seri. The Darjah Cemerlang Seri Melaka (DCSM), which carries the title Datuk Wira, was bestowed upon Melaka state secretary Datuk Azhar Arshad, Royal Malaysian Customs Department director-general Datuk Aniz Rizana Mohd Zainudin, and National Defence University of Malaysia vice-chancellor Lt Gen Datuk Arman Rumaizi Ahmad.
Other notable recipients included Badan Amal Kasih Ibu Putrajaya chairman Datuk Seri Anggraini Sentiyaki, Plaza Premium Lounge CEO Song Hoi See, and SME Development Bank CEO Datuk Mohammad Hardee S.N. Ibrahim. The Darjah Mulia Seri Melaka (DMSM), which bestows the title of Datuk, was awarded to Court of Appeal judge Dr. Shahnaz Sulaiman, Malaysia's ambassador to Russia Datuk Cheong Loon Lai, Kedah police chief Adzli Abu Shah, and Johor police chief Ab Rahaman Arsad.
Additionally, recipients of the Darjah Pangkuan Seri Melaka (DPSM), which also carries the title of Datuk, included Malaysia's ambassador to Algeria Rizany Irwan Muhamad Mazlan, legal advisor to the Melaka state government Khairul Azreem Mamat, Sungai Rambai state assemblyman Siti Faizah Abdul Azis, and Pantai Kundor state assemblyman Tuminah Kadi @ Mohd Hashim. International star and Melaka Tourism ambassador for 2024, Fan Bingbing, was among the honorees, alongside Media Prima group managing director Mohd Rafiq Mat Razali.
Tun Mohd Ali also conferred the Jaksa Pendamai (JP) title to former Melaka state secretary Datuk Ismail Salleh, former state executive council member Datuk Ismail Othman, and former MP for Kota Melaka Datuk Wong Nai Chee. Rashidah Abd Rahim, a part-time reporter for the Malaysian National News Agency (Bernama) Melaka bureau, received the Pingat Jasa Kebaktian (PJK).
In total, 93 individuals were awarded the Darjah Seri Melaka (DSM), 159 received the Bintang Cemerlang Melaka (BCM), 233 were honored with the Bintang Khidmat Terpuji (BKT), 351 were awarded the Pingat Jasa Kebaktian (PJK), 138 received the Pingat Bakti Masyarakat (PBM), and six individuals were conferred the Pingat Khidmat Lama (PKL).