'Dumbfounded': Zaid questions how state awards are conferred

'Dumbfounded': Zaid questions how state awards are conferred


Published: Aug 1, 2025 8:43 PM
Updated: 10:45 PM



Former law minister Zaid Ibrahim has raised questions over how states dish out their honorary awards and titles.

This came after Penang and Sabah governors recently conferred Farhash Wafa Salvador Rizal Mubarak and Natasha Sim - two individuals implicated in a mining licence scandal in Sabah - with prestigious titles.

“It is no surprise that the public is left dumbfounded. In a country where ordinary citizens face hardship and where public confidence in institutions is steadily eroding, these conferments raise pressing questions.

“Are state awards truly based on merit and service, or merely on proximity to power and privilege? Is there any credible, published criteria for selecting recipients - especially those with links to ongoing controversies?

“If the awards are based on recommendations by the state, shouldn’t the public be informed of the specific contributions that justified such honours?” he said in a statement posted on X.

According to news reports, Sim, who is the CEO of state-owned Sabah Mineral Management Sdn Bhd, was conferred the “Justice of the Peace” title by Sabah governor Musa Aman in June, while Farhash, who is a former political aide to Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, was awarded the Darjah Panglima Pangkuan Negeri, which carries the title “Datuk Seri” by Penang governor Ramli Ngah Talib last week.

Adding further, Zaid stressed that the conferment of honours is not a private act.

Giving such an award carries the implicit endorsement of the state and by extension, the people, he said.

“When individuals linked to scandal receive such recognition without explanation, it undermines the very value of these honours and demeans those who genuinely earned them through service and sacrifice.

“If these titles were conferred on the sole discretion of the governors, without proper vetting or justification, then perhaps it’s time we reform the entire process.

“State honours should be a matter of public trust; not private reward,” Zaid added.