The Council of Federal Datuks Malaysia said it was concerned by recent reports of Datuks being involved in criminal activities.
“The decision to award a title is the prerogative of the Sultans and governors. It is not for anyone to say who should or should not be given the titles,” a council spokesman told FMT.
The spokesman said however the vetting process could be tightened for those who are nominated for a Datukship.
There are several nomination categories for federal and state awards including public service, politics, sports, NGOs, social work. Nominations can also come from the royal palaces and governors’ offices.
“Once a name is put forth, a committee under the protocol department will vet the nominees. “But the criteria is not the same for all states, some like Johor, Selangor, and Penang are exemplary in their vetting,” he said.
The spokesman said the three states have strict criteria and check the background of their nominees including if they have any criminal and bankruptcy records.
He also proposed the establishment of a mechanism where a person’s title is revoked when they have committed a crime and exhausted all means to prove their innocence.
“Let’s bring back the honour in our honorifics,” he said.
National Patriots Association president Brig-Gen (Rtd) Mohamed Arshad Raji said the number of titles awarded every year should be limited.
“There are so many Datuks that the title has almost lost value.
“In the old days, it was awarded to those who had made such a big contribution to society that the public would know why they deserved the title. Now we read that people with Datuk titles are being arrested for crimes and corruption. A lot of the time, no one knows who these people are.”
He said advisers to rulers and governors should be more proactive in auditing those holding titles so that dubious characters are stripped of their titles.
MCA complaints bureau chief Michael Chong said he believed the situation surrounding dubious Datuks will improve as various states were now being more strict with titles and even withdrawing them
“The advisors to Sultans and governors should be more proactive in advising them on this matter.”