Credit : Bernama
MELAKA, November 11, 2026 – Melaka Pakatan Harapan (PH) chairman Adly Zahari has described as slander a claim by UMNO Supreme Council member Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Maslan that top DAP leaders do not accept honorific titles such as “Datuk” because of the party’s stance on the institution of the Malay Rulers.
Adly, who is also Amanah vice-president, said the claim was an attempt to tarnish PH while the 16th Melaka State Election is still under way, Bernama reported.
“So, that is why I conclude that the statement is slander,” he said at PH’s daily press conference at the coalition’s main operations room in Melaka today.
He said the claim was baseless because there are DAP leaders who received honorific titles when PH was in government, including in Melaka.
“There are top DAP leaders (such as) Tan Sri Lim Kit Siang who also received titles… among UMNO leaders themselves there are those without titles, such as Tun Ghafar Baba, who received his title after he passed away,” he said.
Media reported that Ahmad, who is also Deputy Works Minister, claimed at an election ceramah in Kampung Lendu Dalam last night that DAP leaders are not inclined to accept honorific titles because they do not want to recognise the position and institution of the Malay Rulers.
Ahmad also said this was among the reasons UMNO has ideological differences with DAP, besides issues relating to the secular state concept and the position of Islam in the Federal Constitution, according to Bernama.
The Election Commission (EC) has fixed polling for the 16th Melaka State Election on Saturday, November 14, 2026, with 687,697 eligible voters.
LNA will continue to report statements and campaign activities from all sides in the run-up to polling day.
Credit : Bernama
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