JOHOR BARU: Menteri Besar Datuk Osman Sapian leads 62 people on the honours list in conjunction with the birthday of the Sultan of Johor, Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar, today.
Osman will receive the Darjah Mahkota Johor Yang Amat Mulia Pangkat Pertama Dato’ Sri Paduka Mahkota Johor (SPMJ), which carries the title of “Datuk”, as will State Secretary Datuk Azmi Rohani.
Johor Council of the Royal Court president Datuk Abdul Rahim Ramli said five people will be awarded the Darjah Sultan Ibrahim Johor Yang Amat Disanjungi Pangkat Kedua Dato’ Mulia Sultan Ibrahim Johor (DMIJ) which also carries the title “Datuk”.
He said they were Johor Baru Mayor Amran A. Rahim, Iskandar Puteri Mayor Adib Azhari Daud, state Land and Mines director Halim Hasbullah, Deputy State Secretary (Development) Ramlee A. Rahman and the sultan’s aide-de-camp Senior Assistant Commissioner R. Sugumaran.
“A total of 26 individuals will be awarded the Darjah Sultan Ibrahim Johor Yang Amat Disanjungi Pangkat Ketiga Setia Mulia Sultan Ibrahim (SIJ) and 29 the Pingat Sultan Ibrahim Johor Pangkat Kedua (PSI II),” he said.
The official birthday of the sultan was supposed to have been held on March 23, but will instead be held today with four official functions, ending with the presentation of awards and medals at Istana Besar, here.
The celebration was postponed as the country was preparing for the 14th general election and because Sultan Ibrahim’s mother, Enche’ Besar Hajah Khalsom Abdullah had been gravely ill at the time, eventually passing away in June.
On Saturday, the sultan will have high tea with he rakyat at the Bandar Penggaram hockey stadium in Batu Pahat, where more than 5,000 people are expected to attend.
Sultan Ibrahim had agreed to the celebration of his 60th birthday to be held, but there will be no district-level celebration, nor has today been declared a public holiday.