Sadly, indeed very disappointingly, I read the above, where one of my fave columnists has joined in the protest against Jackie Chan being honoured with a Datukship, though Azly did it in style with a humorous satire.
But why have Malaysians become so anti Jackie Chan in this respect, even if we allow for Tengku Adnan's silly ill-prepared explanation. The latter has been a classic example of an incompetent minister entrusted with explaining to Malaysians why Jackie Chan was awarded a Datukship but who fucked it up badly, unfortunately to Jackie's disadvantage.
Great nations around the world have honoured foreign artistes for entertaining and bringing joy and happiness to their people, or living up to the ideals of their nations, or just being exemplary artistes in their professions.
France is a marvellous example where this great nation has honoured many foreign artistes for decades, including our very own Michelle Yeoh.
Sweetie Michelle was TWICE honoured by France, in April 2007 by then French President Jacques Chirac with the Chevalier de la Légion d'honneur, and again in March 2012 by then French President Nicolas Sarkozy with the Officier de la Légion d'honneur. The 2nd decoration was presented at a ceremony in the Elysee Palace.
Those awards have been great honour not only to sweetie Michelle but to Malaysia as well.
One of the world's greatest comedians, Jerry Lewis was similarly honoured a number of times, though long before our own Michelle. The French loved him for his comedy. In 2006 on his 80th birthday, he was again honoured, though this time receiving France's highest civilian award.
Similarly, Great Britain has also honoured foreign artistes with knighthoods for decades. Some of the better known foreigners so honoured have been Bob Hope (USA), Douglas Fairbanks(USA), Placido Domingo (Spain), Spike Mulligan (Ireland), Yehudi Menuhin (Switzerland-USA), Ravi Shanker (India), Steven Spielberg (USA), Ann Murray (Ireland).
Many may not be aware of Jackie Chan's philanthropist efforts where after the Boxing Day tsunami of 2004, he headed a drive to build an entirely new village right from scratch in Aceh for the people who were displaced by the great devastation.
The result of his efforts has been named Friendship Village though unofficially as the Jackie Chan village - unofficially because Indonesia does NOT permit places to be named after foreigner.
I support the Datukship for Jackie because his works as an entertainer/artiste have brought joy and much happiness to many Malaysians, and not because as Ku Nan so stupidly explained, he made a film here.
That has been the same reason France honoured Jerry Lewis as a member of France Legion of Honour.
I feel a bit sad that some Malaysians have been disparaging the award to Jackie Chan just because the BN has recommended him for the Datukship.
It's the same f* ugly poisonous and totally mindless divisive politics of our country that saw Michelle Yeoh being abused by Malaysians when she was awarded a Tan Sri-ship.
Stop the silly mindless and poisonous divisive politics.
Read also my post Black & White of Malaysian political thinking
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Jerry Lewis in top French honour
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US comedian Jerry Lewis has celebrated his 80th birthday in Paris receiving France's highest civilian honour in a raucous ceremony. Mr Lewis winked, stuck out his tongue and made faces during the event to award him the Legion of Honour. The actor turned up for the usually sober event, in a gilded hall of the Ministry of Culture, wearing slippers. He then yawned, checked his watch and pretended to fall asleep as the culture minister made a 20-minute speech. The crowd roared at Lewis' antics, often drowning out minister Renaud Donnedieu de Vabres' speech in which he called the actor the "French people's favourite clown". Ministry officials then presented the star of 1963 film The Nutty Professor with a massive cake and sang Happy Birthday. Speaking afterwards, Lewis apologised for not speaking French, but said that "even if the French people cannot hear my language, they have always heard my heart". He said he was flattered by his induction into the Legion of Honour, and that he had been "gloriously elevated" by the award. "The French people are the best in the world," the King of Comedy actor added. Lewis is one of 37 foreigners to have received the title in the past three years. | ||
I prefer pretty lady Dato Michelle Yeoh anytime over the other Dato's.
ReplyDeleteOf course la! She is an Ipohite lei. But then hor, what about Fong Po Po lei? Wait a minute.......We should ask that cibai kaytee........How about giving a Tan Sri to Rose Chan? Come on........She made Malaysia extremely famous lei
Deletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D_Ew5jjDGd8
It took cibai cibai nong nong nong time just to give one fucking datukship to David Arumugam
Kaytee,
Do you know who he is..........Hahahahahaha! Talking about foreigners.........Teresa Teng
Guys and Gals,
The cibai stories will go on and on. Hence, as I felt that this is a non starter in first place, perhaps, we should tell our dear to write something more useful. Else, we would be singing lotsa mimpi sedih
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=urNaNk4DFUM
One Tunship to Teresa Teng
Teresa Teng was used to be Jackie Chan's former girl friend.........Surprise! Surprise!
cibai looes, do I know Arumugam? If you mean Loganathan Arumugam, will cibai you read my 2012 post http://ktemoc.blogspot.com.au/2012/08/datukship.html
Deletewakakaka
actually her love affair was with the son of Robert Kuok, Beau Kuok, but the social barrier was too high for her, a mere entertainer. The so-called affair with JC was ONLY a cibai rumour, kapishe cibai looes
Congratulations Datuk Jackie Chan. IMHO you deserve it more than Datuk Kazim Elias.
ReplyDelete- hasan
The government needs to do a better job to explain why Jackie Chan was awarded a Federal Datukship, and not subcontract the task to Ktemoc.
ReplyDelete(Ktemoc doesn't blog for money, but perhaps a "pingat" the following year will be ample compensation ? Many people crave - and not just rich Chinese businessmen - crave for these dog tags.)
It is natural for people to be doubtful and cynical when an entertainment-industry celebrity , especially a foreigner, receives State honours.
Many celebrities don't exactly lead exemplary lives, and there is the separate issue that these awards have in some cases been given to most underserving individuals in the past.
It is fair for people to ask WTF has that person done for the country ?
Malaysia has no history of honouring non-citizens or non-residents for exemplary international work, so Jackie Chan's Indonesian charitable work, while very laudable, is not really a relevant explanation. An Indonesian state award would have been much more understandable.
The critique over Jackie Chan is not overtly political, the way Michelle Yeoh's was.
Michelle is a BN supporter, which is her right as a citizen.
However, when she spoke in favour of supporting BN in public , she essentially became a political activist, and a fair target for criticism of her political views. When she was latter awarded a Tan Sri-ship, there was a sneaking suspicion it was for "services rendered to Barisan Nasional".
Jackie Chan's philanthropist contributions in Indon might not have been relevant to Malaysia but it bespeaks the sort of person he is, testifying further to him deserving the award for entertaining Malaysians through the years
DeleteJust speculating here ..... maybe Jackie C had made a private donation to the victims of the recent east coast states flooding. And thus the last minute, fast-tracked inclusion in the awards list. He may have requested his act to be not publicised. The rakyat won't know anything until such news appears in the papers. Then, maybe not ..... just speculating, as mentioned earlier.
DeleteWhen Shahrukh Khan,the famous Indian actor, was bestowed datukship in 2008,
ReplyDeleteChief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Rustam (of Malacca) 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. --- STAR
-huaren
Why was the UMNO minister so keen to award the coveted Datukship to a Cina actor , born in China, lives in Hong Kong and also made big bucks in Hollywood ?
ReplyDeleteWhere is Ismail Sabri when we need him ?
It looks like there's a running snowball fight between you and looes74, except that the projectile used is not snow but "cibai". That's a type of cabai, right? It's hilarious - keep it up you two! That's spice for the main course .. hahahaha!
ReplyDeleteSamy
DeleteIn some people's mind day and night. People crave, fight, and even prepare to die to have it. Others cannot live without it. Come back for more repeatedly. Seemingly without getting bored. It brings abundant joy.
I'm no different. It's really a lovely thing to have.
When it, 'c----', appears before someone's name, it must be the highest award bestowed upon a honorable gentleman !
-huaren
@ huaren.... you're a gem. - hasan
DeleteJust yesterday I saw two men fight over a 'c....i"
DeleteYah its a great thing.....its an honour to be given the title...