'Mahathir did not force me'
Published on: Wednesday, December 13, 2017
PETALING JAYA: Tun Dr Siti Hasmah Mohd Ali says she was not forced by her husband Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad to return her two royal awards to the Selangor Palace.In a video posted on Dr Mahathir's Facebook page on Tuesday, she said that her decision to return the awards was done on her own accord."He (Dr Mahathir) didn't force me, I voluntarily returned the royal awards to the palace because I thought if my husband felt that way, as a wife I should sympathise with him and support his wishes," she said in the one-minute video.
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"I am a Selangor native and received these high awards from the state, but due to the recent incidents, I felt I needed to support my husband by returning these awards," said Dr Siti Hasmah.Her decision followed Dr Mahathir's move to return two awards that he received from the Selangor Sultan, one of which was the Darjah Kebesaran Seri Paduka Mahkota Selangor (First Class).Dr Mahathir, who is chairman of Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Pribumi), was the recipient of two medals of honour – one from the then Selangor Sultan in 1978, and the other from the current Ruler, Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah, in 2003.In October, Dr Mahathir, 93, reportedly told a Pakatan Harapan rally that Malaysia was being led by a Prime Minister who was a descendant of "Bugis pirates".
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