It's OK Title withdrawn

Dr Ling respects Selangor ruler’s decision to suspend state title

By Asrul Hadi Abdullah Sani

September 03, 2010

Dr Ling waves to supporters at the court today. — Picture by Jack Ooi

PUTRAJAYA, Sept 3 — Tun Dr Ling Liong Sik said today the Selangor Ruler has the prerogative to suspend his state title. The Sultan of Selangor suspended the state titles awarded to the former MCA president and ex-Port Klang Authority (PKA) general manager Datin Paduka OC Phang pending the conclusion of their ongoing court cases over their roles in the Port Klang Free Zone (PKFZ) scandal.
The decision to suspend their datukships was made after consultation with the Dewan di-Raja Selangor on August 19.
Dr Ling said he was not saddened with the Sultan’s decision.
“That is his datukship, so he can give and take back anytime he wants. I respect that. I have no feeling. It is his right, so no feeling. You have feeling when people take away what is not theirs, so this is no problem,” he told reporters at the Session Court here.
Dr Ling was awarded the Darjah Kebesaran Dato’ Paduka Mahkota Selangor (DPMS) which carries the title “Dato” in 1992, while Phang was granted the Darjah Kebesaran Dato’ Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah (DSSA) with the title “Datin Paduka” nine years ago.
However, Dr Ling, who was awarded the Seri Setia Mahkota (SSM) by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong in 2004, will still be able to use his “Tun” title.
The suspension of the titles will be reviewed after their court cases and if they are acquitted of their charges, the Selangor state secretary said in statement on September 1.
The former transport minister was charged under sections 418 and 417 of the Penal Code on July 29 with cheating the government by misleading the Cabinet, then helmed by Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, on the land acquisition for the PKFZ project.
The PKFZ project was mooted during his term as transport minister and the cost of the project, initially estimated at less than RM2 billion, more than doubled to RM4.6 billion by 2007.
The total bill for the project is expected to swell to as much as RM12.5 billion due to interest costs from deferred payments, if the trans-shipment hub fails to perform.
If convicted, Dr Ling faces up to seven years in jail and a fine.
MI