POLITICIANS will not be affected by the sultan’s withdrawal of their honorary titles, said social media users and analysts.

They felt that the removal would not personally affect the politician unless he had ambitions for power in the state from which the title originated.

“Titles are not important,” some of them said, commenting on the Kelantan palace’s decision to withdraw awards bestowed on former executive councillor Husam Musa and Kelantan Amanah chairman Wan Abdul Rahim Wan Abdullah. 

 “Titles won’t get you into heaven,” said one Denzel Loo on social media.

This is not the first time the Kelantan palace has withdrawn honourifics it had conferred. Gua Musang MP Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah and former Pasir Mas MP Ibrahim Ali have have also had to return the titles they received. 

Ilham Centre’s Hisommudin Bakar said the revocation of their titles  would only affect Husam and Wan Abdul Rahim if they had ambitions of becoming Kelantan menteri besar.

Husam is said to be Pakatan Harapan’s Kelantan’s menteri besar candidate.

Appointment of the menteri besar must have the consent of the sultan, and Sultan of Kelantan, Sultan Muhammad V’s decision to withdraw Husam’s title is a sign of the sultan’s disapproval of Husam.

“It affects Husam, who is touted to be Kelantan menteri besar if PH wins,” said Hisommudin, who has done an extensive research on Kelantan. 

He said it was too early to say how the royal decision had affected Kelantan voters’ opinion of the two leaders.

Another political analyst Dr Khairuddin Damanhoeri, however, said the withdrawal would not have a big impact on Husam as Amanah supporters want him to be appointed federal minister. 

“It would only impact him if he has to deal with the palace. But if he has ambitions to be a federal minister it should not be problem,” he said

The former public university lecturer said Amanah wanted Nik Omar Nik Abdul Aziz to lead the state. Nik Omar is the son of former menteri Besar and PAS leader Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat.

“Amanah people were informed that the MB candidate is Nik Omar, to continue the legacy of Tok Guru Nik Aziz,” he told The Malaysian Insight. 

“For us, Husam will be a minister,” Khairuddin added. 

PAS supporters have welcomed the revocation of the two leaders’ titles.

“Maybe previously he didn’t know that the sultan doesn’t like him. Now it’s crystal clear. (He) should understand,” PAS supporter Mazlan Ahmad wrote on Facebook. 

News of the palace’s decision was uploaded by Rantau Panjang MP Siti Zailah. 

Husam and Wan Abdul Rahim returned the awards after receiving a letter from the Kelantan state secretary yesterday. 

They received the awards when they were PAS leaders. Husam was sacked by PAS in 2016 before joining splinter party Amanah while Wan Rahim had left the Islamist party to join Amanah, which was formed in 2015. 

For social media users Fahmi Ali and Sam Raj, the whole incident is simply “petty”. – February 7, 2018.