Selangor palace suspends use of title by duo

In a rare move, the Selangor palace has temporarily stopped Dr Ling Liong Sik and Phang Oil Chooi from using the honorary 'Dato' title bestowed on them by the sultan.

This is because the two are facing criminal charges.

A statement from the state secretariat this morning said the decision was made by Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah in consultation with the state royal council which met on Aug 19.

The palace will review their use of the title once they have been cleared of criminal wrongdoing, the statement added.

Ling, the former transport minister, had been awarded the Dato' Paduka Mahkota Selangor title in 1992.

Phang, the former general manager of the Port Klang Authority, was accorded the 'Datin Paduka' title in 2001.

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