Shah Rukh Khan for Datukship

Excerpt from The Star Online:

Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Rustam said the decision to confer the title on the actor was based on a suggestion by former Finance Minister Tun Daim Zainuddin to Yang di-Pertua Negri Tun Mohd Khalil Yaakob recently as a means to further promote Malacca owing to the fact that the actor had shot a movie scene here several years ago.

He said the movie One 2 ka 4 was shot at the A Famosa Resort in Alor Gajah in 2001.

"This resulted in many people visiting Malacca since then. The award is given in recognition of this,” he said after the awards presentation ceremony on Saturday.

     Above: Shah Rukh Khan

Factually the film has very little impact on Malaysia tourism statistics. In fact, official statistics from the Malaysia tourism site show that Malacca's hotel guests by locality has been dwindling since the year 2002:

Malacca

Year 2002      2.5 million hotel guests      7,457 hotel rooms

Year 2007      2.2 million hotel guests      7,060 hotel rooms

The Datukship title is already suffering from a battered image- that the title can be bought by cash and the reputation of the title recipients in the recent past are sometimes questioned. I don't think Shah Rukh Khan qualifies to receive Datukship. What about the people who were involved in the films/ series below?

How about this movie below which promoted Batu Caves a great deal:



Closer to home or Wangsa Maju rather, (the memorial is in Taman P. Ramlee, Setapak) is this guy below here:

      Tan Sri P. Ramlee

P. Ramlee has about 66 films and 360 songs to his credit; and his achievements include:

- Best Musical Score for Hang Tuah — Third Asian Film Festival, Hong Kong (1956)

- Best Male Actor for Anak-ku Sazali (My son, Sazali) — Fourth Asian Film Festival, Tokyo (1957)

- Best Comedy Film for Nujum Pak Belalang (The Fortune Teller) — Seventh Asian Film Festival, Tokyo (1960)

- Most Versatile Talent for Ibu Mertua Ku (My Mother In-law) — Tenth Asian Film Festival, Tokyo (1963)

- Best Comedy Film for Madu Tiga (Three Wives) — Eleventh Asian Film Festival, Taipei (1964)

He ain't known as Seniman Negara for nothing, but yet we took over 20 years to posthumously confer P. Ramlee the title of 'TanSri' after his untimely death at the age of 44 in 1973. Tan Sri P. Ramlee is certainly a good yardstick when it comes to honoring people in the film industry.  

Here's Getaran Jiwa for all of us...