How many Datuks are there in Sabah / Malaysia?
April 30th, 2009The Sabah State Honours Enactment, 1963, para 4(1) says that, amongst others:
There shall be four Grades of the Order namely:
First Grade – Sri Panglima Darjah Kinabalu (SPDK)
Second Grade – Panglima Gemilang Darjah Kinabalu (PGDK)
Then, para 4(2) says, amongst others:
The maximum number of persons appointed to the First Grade shall be one hundred and fifty, to the Second Grade nine hundred and fifty …
Sometime later the number was increased, then on 22nd April 2009, the enactment was amended to increase the number of PGDK recipients from 1,050 to 1,200, because “there was an increase in the number of people eligible.”
Does Sabah really have the most number of Datuks in the country, which spawned the joke about hitting a Datuk in the head if one threw a stone at random at a congregation of people here?
We look at other states first.
Probably the biggest numbers ever seen happened in 2004, when Melaka, with a population of around 700,000 awarded 84 Datukships. In the same year, Pahang bestowed 92 Datukships (some reports say 109). The Opposition Leader then claimed that Malaysia would have 3,000 new Datuks from state honours alone for that year.
In 2007, Negeri Sembilan bestowed 53 Datukships.
In 2006, Penang made 66 Datuks.
As for Sabah:
2004: 28.
2005: 33.
2006: 39.
2007: 51
2008: 51
Someone estimated that based on these numbers, probably 2,300 persons have been awarded a Datukship by the state of Sabah since 1963.
In contrast, for the state of Sarawak:
In 2008, quite a few.
In 2007, only 11 were awarded the Datukship.
In 2006, only 5.
So it seems Sabah isn’t too generous, nor too stingy compared to the other states.
I read that after Malaya’s independence in 1957, only 5 of the 15 cabinet ministers were made Datuks. Even the finance minister then Tan Siew Sin, only had a Justice of Peace. Of course he was later made a Tun. The Prime Minister, Tunku Abdul Rahman himself was never bestowed any award.
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Alah…Datukship in Malaysia is kinda bundle thing its not a respected honour anymore. Even corruptor can get Dato’ or Tan Sri… we also can be Dato’… juz walk travel around the world in less than 80 days… hehee
I head the Datuks have some kind of ‘allowance’. Do they?
And what is the difference between the title “Datuk” and “Dato’ ” ?
Are they the same?
AFAIK:
1. none.
2. same. “Datu” is different though.
hehehe… exactly… Datuk kinda just a normal to be heard… mostly are corruptor LoL datuk means money lols
there is a joke saying that if there is a large gathering in sabah and you throw a small stone at the crowd – the stone will hit a datuk, and then the rebounding effect of the stone (after hitting the 1st person, the stone hit another person) and the chance of the 2nd person hitting a datuk is 99 %… i dont know correct or not… and the most fampus dato is of course siti nurhaliza’s husband – dato K….
i bet you will be a datuk in 5 years time…
am i a 4th grade datuk??? (ADK)
1. 5 years? No, probably 15 years – that’s when my daughter gives birth to my grandchild.
2. You are a 4th grade of the Order of Chivalry with the name Darjah Yang Amat Mulia Kinabalu (The Most Illustrious Order of Kinabalu). Unfortunately, para 12(3) of the enactment says thus: “Gentlemen and Ladies upon whom has been conferred the honour of being appointed to the Third and Fourth Grade of the Order may not on any occasions have, use, enjoy or even dream of the appellation and style of “Datuk”, “Dato’”, “Lato’” or similar before their names, neither do Ladies whose husbands have been so appointed may on any occasions have, use and enjoy or dream of the appellation and style of “Datin” or “Latin” before their names.”
Ok Lato… aiyaaaaa
but i dont see the chance of the great Sabud bestowed a Datukship??????????????? but he is a natural Datuk… with many chucu – grandchildren
Somehow I cannot ‘cope’ having that word ‘Datuk’ or ‘Dato’ and put it before a girl’s name.
Dato’ Siti Nurhaliza sounds weird to me. Datuk Siti sounds worse. LOL.
But then ‘Datuk Shahrizat’ sounds OK as that name can be used by men too.
And that nonsense ‘Datuk Shah Rukh Khan’. LOL
1. Do you have any suggestion as to what title sounds better for the ladies?
2. Also I cannot understand why, if a woman gets a Datukship, the husband does not have title at all. Of course some people jokingly say “Datun”…
Maybe we can use Datin Paduka for women Datuk… sounds more feminine and less funnier eg Datin Paduka Ng Yen Yen, Datin Paduka Chew Mew Fun, Datin Paduka Rosnah ABdul Rashid SHirlin, Datin Paduka Rafidah Aziz…. mana boleh Lady like – Lady Rafidah, Lady Shahrizat, Lady Rosnah……….. but Lady Luck bole Latooooo aiyaaaaa
[...] Compare that to Sabah’s around 1,200 Datukships conferred since 1963, and Melaka’s 84 Datuks awarded in 2004. [...]