Chua Jui Meng stripped of yet another medal (PIS) by Johor Palace

Former health minister Chua Jui Meng will return a third medal to the Royal Court of Johor.

Chua (right), a former MCA member who now sits on the PKR supreme council, said Johor Royal Council secretary Abdul Rahim Ramly had called him twice to remind him to return all his medals.

During the second phone call on June 10, Chua reminded Ramly that he has a third medal - the Pingat Ismail Sultan (PIS) - which he said he will happily comply with the Johor Royal Court's request.

“I will gladly make arrangements to send (all) the medals back to the palace as soon as possible,” said Chua at a press conference in Damansara today.

He said that the Royal Court has still not explained the revocations, since the palace was not obliged to reveal its reasons.

Responding to speculations that the whole matter was politically motivated, Abdul Rahim had reportedly said on June 11 that "there is no such thing as political pressure either to confer or withdraw the awards. The Sultan of Johor is above politics. Politicians have no say in this matter."

Losing titles, gaining respect

Chua told the press that the move was unexpected, but that he was not overly distressed.

“When I joined Parti Keadilan Rakyat, I knew it was a road less travelled, but I did not expect after just one year such action (would be) taken against me,” said Chua.

“Many of my colleagues have had to prove their reformist credentials by spending time in prison. I only need to lose three of my medals, which is no great loss to me,” he quipped.

When asked when precisely he plans to return the medals, Chua joked, “Rahim Ramly can just de-gazette the medals, then it will be just be personal metal to me. But I will return (them) soon.”

Taking the cue from the World Cup analogies, he added that if the 2008 general election saw the rakyat giving the BN government a yellow card, then they will be giving them the red card come 2012.

Chua's awards, the Dato Paduka Makhota Johor, the Seri Paduka Mahkota Johor and the PIS, were conferred by the late sultan of Johor, Sultan Iskandar Al-Haj (left).

He will however retains his honorific, from datukships awarded by Pahang in 2002 and Selangor in 2003.

Chua, formerly an MCA vice-president , left the party after two unsuccessful attempts at the president's post in the 2008 party elections. He joined PKR in 2009.

courtesy of Malaysiakini