I am writing this on June 2, the official birthday of Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Ibrahim and I am very happy to hear His Majesty touching on the subject of federal honors.

The King did the right thing to remind the people that federal honors cannot be bought or lobbied for, saying that these awards are reserved only for those who have truly served the nation.

Delivering his royal address at the investiture ceremony at Istana Negara in conjunction with his official birthday, the King said that he personally vets every nominee, even though the government has provided guidelines, Bernama reported.

“In my view, only those who have served a long time in the government or brought pride to the country deserve to be conferred honors. Not many pass this benchmark every year,” he was quoted as saying.

“Even though people are lobbying for titles, I will not entertain them. Titles like ‘Datuk’ or ‘Tan Sri’ are not for sale. If one has so much money, they should do charity and help the poor instead.”

Wow, I appreciate such brutal honesty from the King.

I believe every thinking Malaysian understands why the King has to issue such a reminder now and again. He knows that these titles and awards have been abused by many—the giver as well as the receiver.

Several years ago, we can recall that Sultan Ibrahim, the Sultan of Johor, only conferred titles to a very limited list of recipients to show his disgust at the abuse of the awards and hopefully, to bring back prestige and respect for the honors.

Right move, Your Highness.

He was setting an example then as the Johor Ruler and he is setting an example now for all as the Yang di-Pertuan Agong of Malaysia.

Many of us do not really pay much attention to the birthday awards of our sultans and governors or even from the King.

For one, there are too many of them being dished out every year. It’s like almost every month that there is an official birthday celebration of a head of state.

We have a king, nine sultans and four governors giving out titles and medals on their birthdays annually. Then, there are other special occasions like Federal Territories Day where the King also has an honors list. And that’s a lot of titles being dished out.

Personally, I have many friends and associates who are Datuks these days. I suppose one is not bothered if another friend is conferred a Datukship or promoted to a Datuk Seri.

Then, I believe that some of us would know of personalities whose hobby is collecting titles and medals.

It’s strange but true that there are some who relish hearing a long list of honorifics being mentioned before their names at public events.

Let me relate this episode in my dear homeland of Sarawak which is something different in that a title from a head of state is known to be truly deserving and dignified.

Last October, a dear friend in Kuching forwarded to me a photo of Kuching Archbishop Simon Poh being conferred the Datukship by Sarawak Governor Tun Pehin Sri Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar on the occasion of His Excellency’s 78th birthday.

Honestly, I wasn’t even aware that Sarawak was celebrating the governor’s official birthday but was happy for Dr Wan Junaidi as it was his first official birthday as the head of state. The governor is an upright and humble man and Sarawakians wish him well.

As a Sarawakian and a Catholic, I also rejoice at the honor accorded to my archbishop, although it has become a standard practice of the head of major Christian denominations in Sarawak to be conferred the Datukship.

On the same day, I posted these comments on Facebook, sharing my thoughts on the honor bestowed upon His Grace Simon Poh.

“To me, a Datukship has been rendered meaningless, losing its prestige and honor after it was publicly stated (and never denied) that you can now buy the title like shopping in a supermarket.

“For 100-250k, a Datukship is available, notably in two Malayan states. (They are already well known, so I need not mention names.)

“In one state, I was reliably informed by a friend that you can even buy 3, get 1 free…

“My neighbor’s family members are all Datuks,” so my friend responded.

“However, when a man of God like Kuching Archbishop Simon Poh is conferred the Datukship by the Governor of Sarawak, I see that in a different light, in another dimension—one that is truly deserving and commands the greatest of respect.

“So, congrats Your Grace Simon Poh. And thank you Your Excellency Tun Dr Wan Junaidi.”

This subject is not new to me. Over the years, I have strongly criticized the purchase of titles and how those conferred the honorifics have abused them with some even found to be involved in criminal activities.

We have also heard of ministers issuing stern warnings to those bestowed with titles that the law spares no one. Always timely indeed but who is listening?

Previously, a BN component had also proposed that the federal government enact laws to prevent abuse of the “Datuk” title and other similar awards.

The “Datukships for sale” is for real, as I’ve written on several occasions in the past, even if it is embarrassing to say so.

Ask former foreign minister Dr Rais Yatim. Several years ago, he was the first cabinet member (and remains the only one) to publicly allege that people were buying titles from the rulers. This was never denied.

I think that Sarawak can stand tall on this matter. No one has ever alleged that the Kuching Astana has been peddling its titles and awards.

No, Sarawak and Sarawakians are above such disgraceful and unethical practices.

It’s also not wrong to assert that Malaysian society has become very status conscious, so much so that some would resort to unscrupulous means, including dishing out hundreds of thousands in bribes, just for an ego-boosting title.

It is also no secret that there are Sarawakians who have purchased the Datukship from Malayan states, after they have found difficulty in getting one from Sarawak.

Let me reserve my comments on this.

What all should seriously bear in mind is that titles and honors come with responsibility, and they must be treated with respect and integrity.

Those who are given such recognition are expected to uphold the values and ideals associated with it, acting as a model of excellence for others. Bear in mind that there should be no two ways around it.

(Francis Paul Siah is a veteran Sarawak editor and currently heads the Movement for Change Sarawak, MoCS. He can be reached at [email protected].)