Agong Awards Datukship To Nor Salwani Who Defied Orders To Save The 1MDB Audit Report
The civil servant became a public hero last year after it was revealed how she made a secret recording of a meeting during which alleged tampering was done to the 1MDB report.
By Sadho Ram — 01 Feb 2020, 08:26 PM
This is Nor Salwani Muhammad
She is the current audit director of governance at the National Audit Department (NAD).
Earlier today, 1 February, Nor Salwani was conferred a Datukship by Yang Di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah
The Agong awarded the title to her today in conjunction with the Federal Territories Day.
She is among a total of 25 recipients of the Panglima Mahkota Wilayah (PMW) which carries with it the title "Datuk", according to a Malaysiakini report.
Federal Territories Minister Khalid Samad congratulated Nor Salwani on her honour.
"Civil servants can't protect public officers or ministers because you hold a responsibility to defend the interests of the nation and its people, What Salwani did must be exalted, and that is why we agreed to give her the title," he told reporters in Kuala Lumpur, as reported by Malaysiakini.
She was given the honour for her loyalty towards her nation above any individual after it was revealed that, back in 2016 as a lowly officer, she saved the original 1MDB audit report and kept a secret recording of a meeting during which alleged tampering was done to the report
In November last year, Nor Salwani described how she had secretly placed a digital voice recorder in a pencil box which had been taken into the meeting room by her superior.
According to a report in New Straits Times, the 52-year old had been directed to be present at the then Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Ali Hamsa's office by her boss, then auditor general Tan Sri Ambrin Buang, before she was unceremoniously asked to leave the meeting.
"I was there by about 8.30am but when the meeting was just about to start, Tan Sri Ali's staff suddenly told all the lower ranking officers to leave the room," she said.
"They were very insistent and everything became very chaotic. I was supposed to take down the minutes of the meeting for the Audit Department but they were asking me to leave the room."
However, just before she was shooed out, she managed to slip a voice recorder into her boss, Sa'adatul Nafisah Bashir Ahmad's pencil case which was left partially open on the desk.
Following the meeting, the 1MDB audit report was re-worked and four important but contentious points were allegedly removed before it was tabled at Parliament's Public Accounts Committee hearings.
According to Malaysiakini's report, Nor Salwani's superior at the time - auditor general Ambrin Buang - had ordered that all copies of the 1MDB report be destroyed to prevent leaks.
For her courage, Nor Salwani was hailed a public hero with Setiawangsa MP Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad describing her as an "example of a Malay Muslim heroine who is responsible, transparent, and brave"
Perak Menteri Besar Ahmad Faizal Azumu paid tribute to her in the State Legislative Assembly.
"In a situation where she could not fight those who abused power, she still did what needed to be done despite the great risk," he said while standing up to give Nor Salwani a salute.
"I hope Perak civil servants can make her an idol in carrying out their duties for the people."
