FORMER world number one and national badminton legend Lee Chong Wei was awarded the Darjah Gemilang Pangkuan Negeri (DGPN) on Wednesday, earning him the title of Datuk Seri.
The three-day ceremony was held as part of celebrations marking the 84th birthday of Penang’s Yang di-Pertua Negeri, Tun Ramli Ngah Talib, according to Stadium Astro.
Lee Chong Wei dominated world badminton for 349 weeks at the top ranking, including an unbroken 199-week streak from 2008 to 2012.
The Penang native won three Olympic silver medals — at the Beijing 2008, London 2012, and Rio 2016 Games — making him the only Malaysian athlete to reach the Olympic podium three times in a row and the country’s most decorated Olympian.
Badminton Association of Malaysia president Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz received the Darjah Panglima Pangkuan Negeri (DPPN), also carrying the Datuk Seri title.
Sports Commissioner Suhardi Alias was among those receiving the Darjah Setia Pangkuan Negeri (DSPN), which grants the Datuk title.
