Of Datukship and its purpose and prestige to the holders

https://www.malaysiakini.com/letters/448571



Of Datukship and its purpose and prestige to the holders

In the name of Allah (according to the scroll of Datukship) certain personalities are awarded or honoured by the Governor or Tuan Yang Terutama (TYT) regularly in conjunction with the birthday of the Head of State annually together with other lesser titles.

It is indeed a very serious business that such highest titles of the land are given to certain classes of people for whatever reasons known and unknown.

It is not known how the system of awarding such titles is being carried out.  I believe the process of the system allows such citizens to apply for such titles with the recommendation of prominent people in society.  Some deserving citizens have been bestowed such titles even without applying for them.  Hope this is true as there is a joke of too many Datuks around.

Do I have the right as an ordinary citizen to query or even mention the prerogative of the head of state to bestow any such titles especially datukship (in two classes) ?

I do not intend to do that in this letter which is also to bring awareness to society of the lop-sidedness of certain practices of the very high office of the TYT.

The TYT in every few years after the regular General Elections have to swear in elected Chief Minister. The swearing of the Chief Minister can be touchy matters as it was in 1985 and then in 2018 (33 years apart) when both cases went before the High Court over the appointment of elected Chief Minister.

We know what happened in 1985 as the high drama soon after the polling night were exposed in the court.  Soon on 26October, 2018, we may have the glimpse of the May episodes in the Istana over appointments of two chief ministers in the High Court.  It maybe subjudice to discuss it here.

It would be very interesting to view how the Judiciary handle the “lopsided” high drama Istana case in its decision with great tension and expectation to either parties the plaintiff and the defendants.  Would we ever learn from such cases in Sabah and elsewhere?  The case is extra-ordinary when the result of the polls was a draw 29:29 (surprised results) and thereafter unfolding the high drama with the best stunning performance of the TYT.  Suffice me to stop here.

The other very obvious case is the award of titles by the TYT which have been commented in the press. Is it lop-sidedness that Datukship titles are bestowed on Government leaders only especially such titles are meant for contribution of dedicated services? 

Isn’t it a surprise that DAP came out with statement of their policy is that such persons as members of DAP should only receive or accept the Datukship on retirement namely after serving the people?

Isn’t it that personalities on the both side of the political divide do serve the people with dedication? If that is so why should only people in Government be bestowed such high titles? This is an irony of the system - a sound argument - where some people only serve a few months in Government providing “stunning” service had been honoured with such high titles without the lower titles first progressively.

If this is pushed a bit further there are many senior civil servants who are never bestowed such high titles even after dedicated public service on retirement. So I hope this may not demoralise the genuine faithful senior civil servants to keep working for the good of the society.  There is no ground to feel and slighted because it is the prerogative of the TYT but an observation to be heard.  So should such processes in the system seen to be lopsided be addressed justly?

On the other hand there had been cases of recipients of such high titles were revoked by the head of state but only few cases were done for decades.  Maybe such revocations were not publicly announced.

It may also be seen that many top leaders even committed some heinous crimes (including alleged ‘treasons’,  economic sabotage and national frauds) were not dealt with accordingly with the crimes exposed.  So who can explain why?  Do we need the process of the Courts to do that ?  Since the head of state has the prerogative to award them and in like manner revoke them to bring justice to society.   

So this letter must end with  why some people so much desire Datukship and some even go to the extent of ‘procure’ them as regularly exposed in the social and mass media.  They simply cannot wait for their turns if they have served society well in the political divide.  It has been observed time and time again the “frogs” into the government side from the opposition were rewarded with high titles too.

If there are much benefits to secure such titles, and apart for the status and the prestige of owning them, then it goes without doubt that economic and financial returns would be at great advantages.

So to bring justice to all without fear or favour, such people holding high titles should declare their assets at the time of award and annually to bring greater honour to such title holders.  Maybe in their declaration of asset statement would also include how much they have donated to needs of the society at large annually to cement the purpose of holding such titles.

As for me, I remain an ordinary citizen forever.

Joshua Y C Kong 18/10/2018