Awarding state honorary titles to elected representatives is the special right of a sultan or governor and should not be questioned, PAS vice-president Mohd Amar Nik Abdullah said.

"We should not question [...] whether or not we receive (the award) is another issue but the ruler's right should be respected.

"The sultan appreciates an individual's contribution and someone receives the award out of respect for the ruler," Mohd Amar, who is also Kelantan deputy menteri besar, told Malaysiakini when met at his office in Kota Baru today.

He was responding to reprimand by the DAP leadership to its Malacca chief Tey Kok Kiew recently over a state award received by the latter. The party says it has a "decade-old understanding" that its members not receive titles while they are still in office.

While Tey has maintained that he informed the leadership prior to receiving the award, DAP national organising secretary Anthony Loke said he had communicated the party's central executive committee's (CEC) stance against such titles and advised Tey to decline the award.

Loke had yesterday also issued a "final warning" to Tey to not further escalate the issue or risk facing disciplinary action by the party.

'DAP inconsistent'

Mohd Amar further alleged that DAP had issues accepting the monarchy as it was a socialist party.

"The DAP is socialist, we have said it from the very beginning.

"The socialist system cannot gel with the monarchy as it (socialism) has its own thinking," he said.

Mohd Amar also claimed that the DAP leadership was inconsistent on the issue.

"I see the party leaders are not consistent. There are those who say there are no rules, there are those who say rules are in place.

"Which one do we buy? Some say it is up to the individual, another says it is up to the CEC. Let them settle it first," he said.

Apart from Tey, other DAP lawmakers who also received titles were Malacca state legislative assembly speaker Wong Fort Pin, Sabah chairperson Stephen Wong, Sabah vice-chairperson Frankie Poon and Sri Tanjung assemblyperson Jimmy Wong.