KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 15 ― Datuk Wong Fort Pin has offered to return the Darjah Mulia Seri Melaka conferred upon him during the 80th birthday of the Melaka Yang di-Pertua last week after being chastised by his party leaders for accepting the state award.
The DAP lawmaker who is also deputy Speaker in the Melaka state legislative assembly explained that he had not asked for the award, but accepted it to avoid being seen as insulting the state governor, Malay daily Sinar Harian reported today.
“If the party leadership asks to return the award, I am ready to do so.
“I’m stuck, and feel guilty. But because I respect the Yang di-Pertua Negeri, it’s not polite for me to reject the award, not because we asked for it, but it was given,” Wong was quoted saying.
The Bemban assemblyman was further reported admitting that he not paid sufficient attention to his party’s principles.
Wong’s reported remarks comes after DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng chided party members who accepted state or federal awards that confer them with titles, like “Datuk”, pointing out that even the Melaka Chief Minister Adly Zahari did not accept the award.
Lim, who spoke at the Perak DAP convention in Taiping, Perak yesterday, said it was important for party members to show integrity by rejecting such state awards to prove they were not after titles or positions while in public service.
He advised them to wait until retirement to accept, following in the example of former deputy prime minister, the late Tun Ghafar Baba.
The DAP central executive committee, its highest leadership council, is to meet on the matter this week.
