People just Khan believe it!
By MARTIN CARVALHO and NURBAITI HAMDAN
MALACCA: The conferment of Datukship on Bollywood heartthrob Shah Rukh Khan has stirred up a controversy. Politicians, professionals and the man on the street are hotly questioning the wisdom of the move.
Some commented that the actor did not deserve the award as “he hardly knows where Malacca is” and asked whether he had promoted Malacca in his songs and movies.
Businesswoman Fatimah Tahir, a huge fan of the star, said she was stunned to hear that he had received a Datukship.
“I thought the award is given to those who have contributed towards Malacca’s development.
“I wonder whether Shah Rukh Khan even knows where Malacca is,” said the 40-year-old from Taman Melaka Raya.
The local artistes who received the Darjah Seri Melaka (DSM) award, which does not carry any title, were singer Goh Eng Boon, popularly known as Andre Goh, comedian Jantan Osman also known as Ali Mamak and 60s singer Mariam Ahmad.
DAP adviser Lim Kit Siang said he was not against deserving people being awarded the Datukship but priority should be given to local artistes.
He noted that if Shah Rukh Khan deserved the award, then so should Hollywood stars Sean Connery and Catherine Zeta-Jones who shot the movie Entrapment against the backdrop of the Twin Towers in 1999.
Did anybody mention the Tamil Movie industry???
After all, scores of Indian Tamil movies, more than Hindi films are being shot here annually.
At this rate Melacca might have to bestow Datukships for most of the Tamil artists from India besides those from the Hindi movie industry and Hollywood.
