Award comes with greater responsibility — Fadillah

0

KUCHING: Deputy Minister of Science, Innovations and Technology Datuk Fadillah Yusof said he now feels a greater responsibility in serving Sarawak after being conferred the ‘Panglima Gemilang Bintang Kenyalang’ (PGBK) yesterday.

DATUK FADILLAH YUSOF

Met by reporters after the investiture ceremony, Fadillah, who is also Youth chief of Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB), said he is happy and thankful for the recognition and acknowledgement given by the state.

“I thank the TYT (Tuan Yang Terutama Tun Datuk Patinggi Abang Muhammad Salahuddin) for this award. I will carry out my responsibility to work harder for the state of Sarawak,” he said.

The 48-year-old has made a steady rise in politics after he first won the Petra Jaya seat in 2004.

Many had expected Fadillah to get his datukship this year, after Chief Minister Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud surprised the audience when he addressed the Petra Jaya MP as ‘Datuk Fadillah Yusof’ at the PBB Youth Convention last February.

Taib, who is also PBB president, upon realising the slip in his speech, quickly uttered the words ‘bocor rahsia’ (secret’s out) before resuming his speech.

Fadillah has been PBB Youth chief since 2007. He was appointed a deputy minister in 2008, in his second term as MP after the March 2008 general election.

He was among the 863 conferred various state honours and awards in connection with this year’s Head of State’s 89th birthday celebration yesterday.

Meanwhile, Dato Anne Lee Soon Ngo who is a recipient of ‘Panglima Setia Bintang Sarawak’ (PSBS) vowed to hold more charity and social activities to help less fortunate people in Sarawak.

Lee, who is the wife of Assistant Minister of Agriculture Datuk David Teng, is the treasurer of Sarawak Association of Wives of Ministers, Assistant Ministers and Elected Representatives (Sabati).

She is also the treasurer of board of trustees of Sarawak Heart Foundation.

Asked by reporters, she said her focus will remain in social and charity activities and she will leave politicking to her husband.