To "Sir" with laugh, but why people just "Khan" believe it ! why ?

In Malaysia, there is a title called “Datuk”, which roughly correspond to the British "knighthood", and "Sir" is a title placed before a name and denoting knighthood.

Popular Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan is among 77 people to be conferred the Darjah Mulia Seri Melaka (DMSM), which carries the title Datuk, in conjunction with the 70th birthday of Yang di-Pertua Negri Tun Mohd Khalil Yaakob.

The conferment of Datukship on Bollywood heartthrob Shah Rukh Khan has stirred up a controversy. Politicians, professionals and the man on the street are hotly questioning the wisdom of the move.

Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Rustam said the decision to confer the title on the actor was suggested to Yang di-Pertua Negri Tun Mohd Khalil Yaakob by former Finance Minister Tun Daim Zainuddin recently.

Daim said it was a means to promote Malacca and the actor had shot a movie scene here several years ago.

However, the international star and heartthrob was not seen at the Dewan Seri Hall in Ayer Keroh, during the Malacca Governor’s 70th birthday title award ceremony here.

Efforts are still being made to get him to come to Malaysia to collect his award.

The Datukship award has been questioned by various parties, including politicians and diehard fans.

Some say the actor did not deserve the award as “he hardly knows where Malacca is” while others say he “promoted Malacca in his songs and movies.”

Uncle Kit wrote:

I don’t think the reason that has been given for making Shahrukh Khan a Malacca Datuk would impress or convince many – that the Bollywood actor-dancer had “contributed to our tourism industry when he acted in a movie filmed in Malaysia”.

On this basis, shouldn’t Hollywood stars Sean Connery and Catherine Zeta Jones be honoured for their 1999 film “Entrapment” which first promoted the Twin Towers to the world shortly after they were completed when the Twin Towers was used as the film location – although the film was subsequently accused of “distortion” when images of Malacca slums were spliced with shots of the 1,482ft-high skyscrapers.

Or the 2000 Academy Award-nominee film “Anna and the King” (a remake of “The King and I”) starring Jodie Foster and Chow Yun-Fat (and our Patrick Teoh) which was mostly shot in Ipoh?

Or are Taiwan Gold Horse Award 2005/6 Best Leading Actor Aaron Kwok to be similarly awarded for his 2006 film “After This Our Exile” and world-famous director Ang Lee for his 2007 film “Lust, Caution”. starring Tony Leung & Tang Wei, as both promoted Malaysia as having been filmed or used footages from Perak?

What about other foreign stars in films which had used Malaysia for their location?


While Wong Chun Wai feels the decision to award a Datukship to Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan is mind-boggling. Such awards, we thought, were given to individuals for their contributions to a state or the country.

We are not sure what is Shah Rukh Khan's contribution to Malacca. Sure, he is a great actor and dancer with a massive fan base in Malaysia, but Malaysians need plenty of convincing as far as his contribution to Malacca, or Malaysia, is concerned.

There must be something that we do not know. Maybe he has helped promote Malaysia through his efforts that we do not know and it would be good if someone shed some light on this one.