Historically, 'Orang Melayu' is crazy with 'Title' or 'Honours and Awards'. I am referring Malays here, not only 'Orang Melayu' in Malaysia, but also 'Malay blood' or 'Rumpun Melayu' in South East Asia, including Indonesia and Brunei.
Honours and awards were initially a 'token' to appreciate or to recognise the contribution of individual. Whatever 'contribution' done need to be recognised.
Another uniqueness of Malaysia is, we have so many 'HONOURS and AWARDS' either awarded by the Yang Di Pertuan Agong (known as Federal Awards) or by the State Rulers (Sultan/Raja/Yang Di Pertuan Besar/Yang Di Pertua Negeri) which is known as State Awards.
These honours/awards carry various Title (Gelaran), such as Tun, Tan Sri, Datuk, Dato', Dato' Seri, Dato' Pahlawan, Dato' Paduka, Dato' Seri Utama, Dato' Seri Panglima, Dato' Amar a, Dato' Wira and Datin Paduka (for female receiver, only for some states). Not only the receiver will get the title, the wife will also get the title. However if the woman received the award with Title, the husband will not entitle for any title. These are not included the other title given by the 'Rulers' that carry the long title, such as 'Datuk Seri Kerma Wijaya, Datuk Orang Kaya Bendahara Seri Maharaja, Datuk Seri Nara Diraja, Orang Kaya Kaya Seri Panglima Bukit Gantang Seri Amar Diraja etc.
Sometimes, we were confused with all those title. In any official ceremony, the 'MC' must pronounce all those title correctly and according with the seniority. And, if you did not pronounce it correctly, you will be summoned because of creating embarassment to the title holder.
In general, the Honours and Awards are divided into 3 categories; namely Order of the Royal and family Awards (only for the Royal families); Order of the Gallantary Awards (warriorship awards for military/police personnel); and Order of the Defender of the Realm Awards (open).
In this blog, I only write on the 'Order of the Defender of the Realm'. These orders are divided to 7 groups or categories; namely:
- Darjah Yang Mulia Pangkuan Negara (5 categories
- Darjah Yang Mulia Setia Mahkota Negara (3 categories)
- Darjah Yang Mulia Jasa Negara (1 category)
- Darjah Yang Amat Dihormati Setia Diraja
- Darjah Bakti
- Pingat Perkhidmatan Lama dan Kelakuan Terpuji
- Pingat-pingat Peringatan
Seri Maharaja Mangku Negara (SMN)
The 'SMN' is a first rank award of the Darjah Yang Mulia Pangkuan Negara. It is awarded as a sign of honour for those who have shown meritorious service and who are highly influential, in line with the high position they hold. The recipient receives the title ‘Tun’ and his wife ‘Toh Puan’. The number of people awarded this honour is limited to 25 only, excluding foreign citizens who are conferred honorary awards.
The collar comprises the crests of the states in Malaysia with an eleven-pointed star made of gold-plated silver. The ribbon is of dark blue silk and has yellow stripes on both the edges. The award was instituted on 16 August 1958 and gazetted on 21 August 1958.
The S.S.M. is the first rank of Darjah Yang Mulia Seri Mahkota Malaysia. It is a very special honour awarded to those who have shown meritorious service and are highly influential commensurate with the high position they hold. The award carries the title ‘Tun’ for the recipient and ‘Toh Puan’ for the wife. The number of awards conferred is limited to 25 only. The number does not include foreign citizens who receive it as an honorary award.
The collar is made of silver. The badge suspends from the centre of the collar. The fourteen-pointed star is also made of silver. The badge is the same as that of the star but smaller in size. The riband is navy blue and has red stripes on the outer edges. The end of the riband is tied with a ribbon. The award was instituted on 15 April 1966 and gazetted on 30 June 1966.
The list of recipients since the awards were introduced are:
Former Premier of Malaysia
Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Alhaj SMN
Tun Abdul Razak bin Hussein SMN (1959)
Tun Hussein bin Onn SMN (1981)
Tun Dr Mahathir bin Mohamad SMN (2003)
Tun Abdullah bin Ahmad Badawi SMN (2008)
Former Deputy Premiers
Tun Dr Ismail bin Abd Rahman SSM (1967)
Tun Abd Ghaffar bin Baba SSM
Tun Musa bin Hitam SSM (2006)
Former Cabinet Ministers
Tun Tan Siew Sin SSM (21 May 1916 - 17 Mar 1988)
Tun Veerasamy Thiruyana Sambanthan SSM (16 June 1919 - 19 May 1979)
Tun Henry Lee Hau Shik SSM (19 Nov 1900 - 22 June 1988)
Tun Temenggung Jugah anak Barieng SSM (1903 - July 1981)
Tun Omar Ong Yoke Lin SSM (23 July 1917 - 1 July 2010)
Tun Daim bin Zainuddin SSM (29 Apr 1938)
Tun Fatimah binti Hashim SSM (25 Dec 1924 - 9 Jan 2010)
Tun Dr Ling Liong Shik SSM (2004)
Tun Mohd Ghazali bin Shafie SSM (2005)
Tun Dr Lim Kheng Yaik SSM (2008)
Public Service Figures
Tun Ismail bin Mohamad Ali SSM
Tun Raja Mohar bin Raja Badiuzzaman SSM
Tun Abdullah bin Mohd Salleh SSM (2003)
Tun Ahmad Sarji bin Abd Hamid SSM (2008)
Tun Azizan bin Zainul Abidin SSM (2010) (posthumous)
The wives of former Premiers
Tun Hajjah Sharifah Rodziah SSM
Tun Hajjah Rahah binti Mohamad Noah SSM
Tun Hajjah Suhaila binti Mohamad Noah SSM
Tun Dr Siti Hasmah binti Mohamad Ali SSM (2003)
Tun Jeanne binti Abdullah SSM (2008)
Tun Hajjah Endon binti Mahmud SSM (2009) - posthumous
Former IGP
Tun Mohd Salleh bin Ishmael SSM
Tun Mohd Haniff bin Omar SSM
Former CDF
General Tun Ibrahim bin Ismail SSM
Former (and current) Lord Presidents
Tun Azmi bin Mohamad SSM
Tun Supian bin Mohd Hashim SSM
Tun Raja Azlan Shah SSM
Tun Mohd Salleh bin Abas SSM
Tun Abdul Hamid bin Omar SSM
Tun Mohd Eusof bin Chin
Tun Mohd Dzaiddin bin Abdullah SSM
Tun Ahmad Fairuz bin Siekh Abdul Halim SSM (2005)
Tun Abd Hamid bin Mohamad SSM (2008)
Tun Mohd Zaki bin Azmi SSM (2009)
Former Speakers of Dewan Rakyat/Dewan Negara
Tun Syed Nasir bin Syed Ismail SSM
Tun Mohamad Zahir bin Ismail SSM
Political/Corporate Figures
Tun Tan Cheng Lock SSM (5 Apr 1883 - 16 Dec 1960)
Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu SSM
Tun Sulaiman bin Ninam Shah SSM (2 Jan 1920 -5 July 2003)
Former President of Singapura (formerly known as Yang diPertua Negara)
Tun Hj Mohd Yusof bin Ishak SMN
Yang Di Pertua Negeri Melaka
Tun Leong Yew Koh SMN
Tun Hj Abdul Malek bin Yusof SMN
Tun Hj Abdul Aziz bin Abd Majid SMN
Tun Syed Zahiruddin Alhaj bin Syed Hassan SMN
Tun Syed Ahmad Alhaj bin Syed Mahmud Shahabudin SMN
Tun Hj Mohammad Khalil bin Yaakub SMN
Yang Di Pertua Negeri Pulau Pinang
Tun Raja Uda bin Raja Yusof SMN
Tun Syed Sheh bin Syed Abdullah Shahabuddin SMN
Tun Syed Sheh bin Syed Hassan Barakhbah SMN SSM
Tun Hj Sardon bin Hj Jubir SMN
Tun Dr Hj Awang bin Hassan SMN
Tun Dr Hj Hamdan bin Siekh Tahir SMN
Tun Hj Abdul Rahman bin Abbas SMN
Yang Di Pertua Negeri Sabah
Tun Datu Mustapha bin Datu Harun SMN
Tun Pengiran Hj Ahmad Rafaee bin Hj Ahmad SMN
Tun Mohamamd Fuad @ Donald Stephen SMN
Tun Hj Mohammad Hamdan @ Indan bin Kari SMN
Tun Hj Ahmad bin Koroh SMN
Tun Hj Mohd Adnan @ Mickey Robert SMN
Tun Hj Mohd Salleh bin Keruak SMN
Tun Hj Sakaran bin Dandai SMN
Tun Hj Ahmadshah bin Abdullah SMN
Yang Di Pertua Negeri Sarawak
Tun Hj Abang Openg bin Abang Sapie SMN
Tun Tuanku Hj Bujang bin Tuanku Hj Othman SMN
Tun Hj Abdul Rahman bin Yaakub SMN
Tun Hj Abang Mohammad Salahuddin bin Abang Barieng SMN
Tun Haji Ahmad Zaidi Adruce bin Mohamamd Noor SMN
