PENANG, 20 Aug 2008: Penang will award shuttler Lee Chong Wei, the state’s first Olympic silver medallist, with the Darjah Setia Pangkuan Negeri (DSPN) award, which carries the title Datuk, on 30 Aug 2008.
Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng said Chong Wei was being honoured because he had done not only Penang but also Malaysia proud with his achievement as the first Penangite to win a silver medal at the world’s biggest sports event.
“Even though Malaysians were disappointed that he failed to win the gold medal, we are proud of his singular achievement which has brought joy to both state and country,” Lim said at a news conference today.
He said the Penang state government hoped that this recognition would spur Chong Wei to break more records and achieve greater success.
Lim said Governor Tun Abdul Rahman Abbas consented to award the Datukship to Chong Wei in his meeting with the chief minister at the governor’s residence, Seri Mutiara, here yesterday.
Chong Wei, 26, from Bukit Mertajam, will be the second athlete from Penang to be conferred the DSPN. Squash queen Nicol David received a similar award in conjunction with the governor’s birthday on 12 July.
Chong Wei was beaten 12-21, 21-8 by world number one Lin Dan of China in Beijing on 17 Aug.
The last time a Malaysian won an Olympics medal in the men’s singles badminton event was in Atlanta in 1996 when Abdul Rashid Sidek won bronze. – Bernama
Chris says
Dear Nuts,
I don’t understand the importance/significance of the last minute change to deny Nik Aziz and Hadi Awang from delivering the khutbah this past Friday?
Rgds,
Chris
Azmeen says
Wonderful photos! Thanks for putting them online. It gives people from outside Permatang Pauh a closer feel of the pre-election events happening there.