LONDON: Businessman Datuk Seri Prof Clarence Bongkos Malakun (pic) has been conferred the prestigious Freedom of the City of London, becoming the first Sabahan and Kadazan to receive the honour.
Malakun was formally admitted as a Freeman of the City of London at a ceremony held at Chamberlain’s Court, Guildhall, on Tuesday.
The honour, one of the City of London’s oldest surviving civic traditions, recognises his longstanding contributions to public service, community development, indigenous heritage, scholarship and business.
His admission was proposed by Christopher Bicknell RIBA, CIWFM, Master of the Worshipful Company of Chartered Architects for 2025-2026, and Valerie Le Vaillant OBE, a Past Master of the same company.
During the ceremony, Malakun read the Declaration of a Freeman before signing the Freeman’s Declaration Book and receiving the traditional parchment copy of the Freedom.
He was subsequently formally welcomed as a Citizen of London by the Chamberlain, Beadle and Clerk of Guildhall.
The Freedom of the City of London dates back to medieval times and was historically associated with the right to trade within the City. It remains an important part of London’s civic heritage.
Malakun, who is a member of the Sabah Economic Advisory Council under the Chief Minister’s Department, now joins a distinguished list of recipients, including Malaysia’s first Prime Minister and Father of Independence, Tunku Abdul Rahman, who received the honour in 1968, as well as Malaysian shoe designer Datuk Jimmy Choo and other prominent figures.
Other recipients have included Lord Nelson, Florence Nightingale, Winston Churchill, Nelson Mandela, King Charles III, former British prime minister Margaret Thatcher, former prime minister Boris Johnson and theoretical physicist Professor Stephen Hawking.
The Freedom of the City of London adds to his international recognitions, including the Baden-Powell Fellowship, which he received from King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden in 1989, and the Melvin Jones Fellowship from Lions Clubs International in 1992.
His admission to the Freedom of the City of London places Penampang and Sabah within a centuries-old civic tradition associated with public service, community contribution and international friendship.
