By Following investigations made by authorities into the scandal-laden state fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB), former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak and his wife Rosmah Mansor were stripped of their Datuk Seri and Datin Seri titles respectively, with immediate effect today (26 Oct).
Bernama reported that Najib’s Darjah Seri Utama Negri Sembilan (SPNS) and Rosmah’s Darjah Seri Paduka Tuanku Ja’afar Yang Amat Terpuji (SPTJ) titles were revoked by the latter’s home state, Negeri Sembilan, according to an announcement by an official of the federal protocol registry.
Currently, Najib faces three dozen charges of money laundering, abuse and criminal breach of trust related to 1MDB, while Rosmah is currently being probed by commercial crime investigators regarding her role in the 1MDB controversy.
However, Najib may still be called Datuk Seri, as he has a raft of honours from all other states.
Rosmah, who has also been charged with 17 counts of money laundering, also continues to hold awards from Kedah, Kelantan, Melaka, Pahang, Sabah, Sarawak, and Selangor.
While her titles grant her the privilege to use the honorific “Datuk Seri,” she opted to retain the “Datin Seri” title, which denotes the wives of recipients of the Datuk Seri title.