Cover image via Kenny Sia via Kennysia.com
Malaysians were all abuzz when Jackie Chan was awarded a Datukship 3 days ago. A lot were amused and supportive but most were puzzled about his contributions to the country.
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In 2008, the Malacca state government conferred Shah Rukh Khan the Datuk honour for boosting the state's tourism after he shot 'One 2 Ka 4' in Alor Gajah
But what exactly is a Datuk?
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The term Datuk goes way back to the 7th century during the Srivijaya empire, when it describes a leader or an elder of villages. Today, the title has two meanings: (i) The Malay word for 'grandfather'(ii) A formal title similar to being knighted in the United Kingdom. It's pretty fancy, trust us.
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But Malaysia takes knighthood one step further with several different titles and rankings. For example, did you know that a Datukship and a Dato'ship are two different things?
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"Wow, so complicated. But how do you even get to be a Datuk? Is there a step-by-step guide?"
Back in the day, the honorary title was given to aging civil servants, ministers, judges or even well to do businessmen. It is worth mentioning that our first Prime Minister Tunku Abdul Rahman was never a Datuk.
Maybe he just didn't need one. Because look at those super cool glasses. Tunku Abdul Rahman has got style!
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But today, a Datukship can be obtained through other means, such as sporting achievements, historic feats, entertainment, and even marrying into an affluent family
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But if you aren't a sportsman or an entertainer, there are "other" methods to obtain a Datukship. Raja Petra once claimed that "anyone with money can buy a Datukship"(and the title may not even be real).
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"But why are people so obsessed with getting a Datukship? It's just a title right?"
When the Datuk award was initially introduced, it was exclusive and the recipients were well-deserved. Today, the amount of titles conferred has been overly saturated. In the UK, only 100 people are knighted each year but in Malaysia, the number is 12 times higher.
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