The trio led the list of recipients of the 2017 federal awards, honours and medals in conjunction with the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Muhammad V’s birthday today.

Md Raus, 66, took over the post of chief justice after Arifin Zakaria retired in March this year.

Meanwhile, Samy, 81, is currently Malaysia’s Special Envoy on Infrastructure to India and South Asia. He is one of the longest-serving leaders in the Cabinet, having held the post of public works and utilities minister from 1979 to 2008.

He first entered politics in 1959 as a member of MIC in the Batu Caves branch before he became party president in 1981. He resigned as MIC president in 2010 after holding the post for 31 years. He was also Sungei Siput MP from 1974 to 2008.

Samy failed to defend his Sungei Siput parliamentary seat in the 12th general election in March 2008, losing to Dr Xavier Jeyakumar of PSM.

Chen, 85, on the other hand, is the former deputy president of MCA and was also senate president from 2000 to 2003.

He had also served as housing, local government and new villages minister.

Chen had been active in local politics with MCA from 1964 and had served as member of parliament from 1964 until 1986. He was also appointed a senator from 1997 to 2003.