SEREMBAN, Jan 14 — Former Negri Sembilan State Secretary Datuk Razali Ab Malik heads the list of 540 recipients of state awards and medals in conjunction with the 75th birthday celebration of the Yang di-Pertuan Besar of Negri Sembilan Tuanku Muhriz Ibni Almarhum Tuanku Munawir, today.

He is conferred the Darjah Seri Setia Negri Sembilan Yang Amat Cemerlang (SSNS) which carries the "Datuk Seri” title.

Also receiving the same award is Negri Sembilan Islamic Religious Council (MAINS) chairman Datuk Dr Abdul Aziz Sheikh Abdul Kadir.

Seremban High Court judge Azizul Azmi Adnan, Perbadanan MAINS chairman Razman Hafidz Abu Zarim and Telekom Malaysia chief executive officer cum managing director Shazril Imri Mokhtar are awarded the Darjah Datuk Paduka Negri Sembilan (DPNS) which carries the title "Datuk”.

The Penghulu Luak Gunung Pasir Hanizam Harun is among the three recipients of the Darjah Setia Tuanku Muhriz Yang Amat Gemilang (DSTM) which also carries the title "Datuk”.

The other two recipients are Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin (UNISZA) pro-chancellor Datuk Tunku Nooruddin Tunku Datuk Seri Shahabuddin and Ting’s Dental Surgery managing director Dr Ting Choon Ee.

The Darjah Setia Bakti Negri Sembilan (DBNS), which also comes with the title "Datuk”, is awarded to 15 recipients including Negri Sembilan police chief DCP Ahmad Dzaffir Mohd Yussof, Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia (USIM) vice-chancellor Prof Ts Dr Sharifudin Md Shaarani and Negri Sembilan chairman of the Federation of Malaysian Manufacturers (FMM) T. Arokiasamy.

There are 16 recipients of the Darjah Setia Negri Sembilan (DNS), including Land and Mines deputy director Amino Agos Suyub and Department of Environment director Azuri Azizah Saedon.

Meanwhile, Tuanku Muhriz also consented to the conferment of the Darjah Pekerti Terpilih (DPT) award to 22 recipients, Ahli Setia Negri Sembilan (ANS — 69 recipients), Setiawan Tuanku Muhriz (STM — three recipients), Pingat Khidmat Cemerlang Masyarakat (PMC — 139 recipients), Pingat Jasa Kebaktian (PJK — 241 recipients); Pingat Bentara Tuanku Muhriz (BTM — 14 recipients) and Pingat Khidmat Lama (PKL — 13 recipients).

The investiture ceremony will be held at the Balairong Seri of Istana Besar Seri Menanti, with the first session today, and the second and third sessions, on Jan 31 and February 7, respectively. — Bernama