_”A Sabahan Kadazan was recently awarded the Freedom of the City of London”._
LONDON: Datuk Seri Panglima Prof. Clarence Bongkos Malakun, JP, a prominent Kadazan civic leader and businessman from Penampang, Sabah, was formally honoured with the Freedom of the City of London at the Chamberlain’s Court, Guildhall, on Tuesday, 29 September 2026.
The ceremony marked a historic and personal milestone for a Sabahan Kadazan whose longstanding contributions span public service, community development, the preservation of indigenous heritage and business acumen, amongst many other accomplishments.
During the ceremony, Datuk Seri Panglima Clarence B. Malakun read the Declaration of a Freeman before the officials of the Chamberlain’s Court and then signed the Freeman’s Declaration Book and received the traditional parchment Copy of the Freedom of the City of London.
He was then formally greeted as a Citizen of London by the Chamberlain and the Beadle & Clerk of Guildhall.
Malakun’s admission to the Freedom of the City of London was proposed by Mr. Christopher Bicknell RIBA, CIWFM, Master of the Worshipful Company of Chartered Architects for 2025–2026, and Madam Valerie Le Vaillant OBE, a Past Master of the same Company of Chartered Architects of England & Wales.
The Freedom of the City of London award is one of the City’s oldest surviving traditions, with origins extending back to medieval times.
It was historically associated with the right to trade within the City and remains a cherished part of London’s civic heritage. In medieval times, a holder of the Freedom of the City has the King’s permission to bring in and graze sheeps & cattles across the famous London Bridge without having to pay any fees or levy to the City purse.
Malakun joins a distinguished list of recipients of the Freedom of the City of London, including notable Malaysians such as Tunku Abdul Rahman, Malaysia’s first Prime Minister and Father of Independence, who received the Freedom in 1968; Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah, the Sultan of Selangor, who received it in 2003; and internationally renowned shoe designer Datuk Jimmy Choo, who received it in 2006.
Across its distinguished history, recipients have also included Lord Nelson, Florence Nightingale, Winston Churchill, India’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, Nelson Mandela, King Charles III, Diana, Princess of Wales, Baroness Margaret Thatcher, former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and world-renowned theoretical physicist Professor Stephen Hawking.
Despite the international significance of the occasion, Datuk Seri Malakun’s roots remain firmly in his home town of Penampang, where he has contributed extensively to community life, housing & commercial developments alongside broader socioeconomic services to Sabah and Malaysia.
He had served as a President of the National Council of the Justices of the Peace Malaysia and is currently President of the Council of the Justices of the Peace Sabah (MAJAPS). His public services included serving as a District Officer and as a Permanent Secretary to the Ministry of Tourism, Manpower & Environment during the BERJAYA Government era. He was also both a Nominated and later an Elected State Legislative Assemblyman and was a Deputy Speaker of the Sabah State Legislative Assembly.
He had also served as the Chairman of the Institute for Development Studies Sabah (IDS) from 2009–2018.
Datuk Seri Clarence is one of the long standing elected Deputy Presidents of the Kadazan Dusun Cultural Association (KDCA), a post he has held for the past 40 long years.
He is also presently a Professor and Holder of the Kadazan-Dusun Chair at Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS), reflecting his continuing service and commitments to indigenous heritage, scholarship and the interests of future generations.
He also serves as a member of the Board of Governors of the University College Sabah Foundation (UCSF) as well as the Honorary Consul of Romania in Sabah, a member of the World Federation of Consuls (FICAC) and a Life Member of the Commonwealth Magistrates & Judges Association (CMJA).
Datuk Seri Malakun is presently a member of the Sabah Economic Advisory Council under the Chief Minister’s Department.
The Freedom of the City of London award to Malakun represents a historic first for a Kadazan and indeed for a Sabahan.
His admission brings Penampang and Sabah into a centuries-old story of civic tradition, service and international friendship.
Malakun’s other internationally recognised honours include the Baden-Powell Fellowship, which he received personally from His Majesty King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden, Honorary Chairman of the World Scout Foundation, in 1989, and the Melvin Jones Fellowship from Lions Clubs International in 1992.
