Datuk Shahrukh Khan

Datuk Shahrukh Khan.

Yes and I am not joking. It is for real. Saw in the Star online written by the Star Malacca Chief, Martin Carvalho (below), as the Ali Rustam explaining himself why a Datukship should be given. And give he did.

I bet you, Shahrukh Khan may have forgotten Malacca though he film it once in 2007. Maybe I should also suggest and recommend to the Chief Minister to give a Datukship to Sir Sean Connery (so it will be Datuk Sir Sean) and Miss Catherine Zeta Jones as well as they too promote Malacca River (hehe) and guess what the river is now becoming the 'Venice of the Esat.'

Oh yes I have forgotten, yeras and years ago, Davide Copperfield came too. Maybe we can suggest a datukship as well. So for everty celebrity coming to Malacca, a datukship is recommended. Again a joke.

So what have 'Datuk' Shahrukh Khan did for Malacca? Now Ali says that as a result of his filming, many people visited Malacca. Not that is a careless statement. One cannot take that movie shot alone as a barometer for the purposes of foreign tourist coming to Malacca. I think that statement lack genuinety and cross referencing.

The scantity of Datukship in Malacca especially is now question with such conduct by the Malacca CM who is eyeing for a seat in the Deputy President of UMNO. I cannot see how, this candidate's judgment in policy making for Malaysia.

What a chaos...

Chief Minister explains Shah Rukh Khan's Datukship
By Martin Carvalho

MALACCA: The Malacca Governor’s 70th birthday title award ceremony here was abuzz with excitement with many expecting to see popular Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan receive his Datukship on Saturday.

However, the international star and heartthrob was not to be seen at the Dewan Seri Hall in Ayer Keroh. 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.”

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.

Mohd Ali said awarding international artistes was also a good way to promote the state and country as a location for movies.

“Phuket Island is famous as an international tourist destination because of a James Bond movie,” he said, adding that Shah Rukh Khan’s movies have penetrated the European, US and Middle Eastern markets.

He said Daim is making arrangements to bring the actor here to receive the award in a special ceremony.