AYER KEROH: Chief Secretary to the Government (KSN), Datuk Seri Shamsul Azri Abu Bakar, leads the list of 299 recipients of state awards, honours, and medals in conjunction with the 75th birthday of the Yang di-Pertua Negeri, Tun Mohd Ali Mohd Rustam, in the first session held today.
Shamsul received the Darjah Gemilang Seri Melaka (DGSM), which carries the title Datuk Seri.
Also receiving the same honour was Armed Force chief General Tan Sri Mohammad Ab Rahman.
The awarding ceremony at the Balai Istiadat Seri Negeri here also saw the wife of the Chief Minister Datin Seri Zuriyah Abdul Aziz along with Klebang assemblyman Datuk Lim Ban Hong, among the recipients of the Darjah Cemerlang Seri Melaka (DCSM), which carries the title Datuk Wira.
Others receiving the DCSM include Umno finance director and Ranchan Maritime Sdn Bhd chairman Datuk Shahrul Azuwar Abdul Aziz; Tourism, Arts, and Culture Ministry secretary-general Datuk Roslan Abdul Rahman; and businessman and husband of actress Heliza Helmi, Datuk Seri Mahadi Badrul Zaman.
Umno Youth chief and Merlimau assemblyman Dr Muhamad Akmal Saleh, as well as Malaysia's ambassador to Italy Datuk Zahid Rastam were among five recipients of the Darjah Mulia Seri Melaka (DMSM), which carries the title Datuk.
Melaka Historic City Council (MBMB) secretary Datuk Ahmad Azlan Ahmad Salleh led the list of 71 recipients of the Darjah Pangkuan Seri Melaka (DPSM), which also carries the title Datuk.
The first session of the investiture also saw 22 people receiving the Darjah Seri Melaka (DSM), 30 receiving the Bintang Cemerlang Melaka (BCM), 33 receiving the Bintang Khidmat Terpuji (BKT), 71 receiving the Pingat Jaksa Kebaktian (PJK), 48 receiving the Pingat Bakti Masyarakat (PBM), and two receiving the Pingat Khidmat Lama (PKL).
Several media practitioners were also listed among the recipients of state awards and honours in the investiture's first and second sessions. They include New Straits Times Press (NSTP) Melaka correspondent Nazri Abu Bakar, who will receive the BCM; Melaka Malaysia Gazette correspondent Rizanizam Abdul Hamid; and Melaka Hari Ini (MHI) correspondent Mohd Faiz Abu Hasan.
A total of three sessions of state awards, honours, and medal ceremonies are being held, with the second session taking place this afternoon and the third session scheduled for tomorrow.