Commentary by Mustafa K. Anuar

THERE was a lot of noise when news broke that Selangor Sultan, Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah, had revoked titles bestowed upon former prime minister Najib Razak and wife Rosmah Mansor.

These titles were withdrawn from the once-celebrated couple after they were both found guilty of corruption by the courts, and rightly so, because their misdeeds were regarded as smudging the honour and respect that supposedly accompany the titles, especially by those who think stealing is wrong.

To put it another way, titles should not be conferred on thieves and other bad hats, nor should they hold on to their titles after a bad deed has been committed.

That is why many people on social media heaved a sigh of relief and thanked the sultan for the timely intervention.

It is understood that titles should be earned only by those who have made outstanding achievements in their respective fields and rendered an invaluable service to the nation.

Stealing from the public purse is obviously not a service to the nation, especially one that is in need of development funds.

Ordinary Malaysians also hoped that other states in the federation would follow suit.

At the moment, Najib still has eight titles from Pahang, Perak, Malacca, Kedah, Penang, Perlis, Sabah and Sarawak; while Rosmah has titles from Pahang, Malacca, Kedah, Sabah and Sarawak.

The Negeri Sembilan ruler had already stripped the couple of their titles in October 2018.

Revoking such titles would also serve as a warning to the titled individuals to behave in a manner considered honourable.

Additionally, titles should not be abused by the holders to the extent that they are abused as a magic wand that opens up the door of opportunities, legal or otherwise.

This revocation should also serve as a grim reminder that the stature of a title holder may not be constant, as it can also become degraded over time with his or her involvement in nefarious activities.

The stripping also does justice to other morally upright title holders, so that a few bad apples would not spoil the whole bunch.

To put the issue in a broader perspective, the Malaysian honours system runs parallel to that practised by the former British colonial power.

Australia and New Zealand also have similar system, although there were calls in the past for its abolishment by those who felt that such a practice does not belong in democratic societies where egalitarianism is cherished.

In fact, there was a time when the system was discontinued in both countries, but it was later revived.

Certain hardcore supporters of Najib have argued that his datuk seri may well be taken away from him, but he still has his Bossku moniker to be bandied about.

It would be useful for them to realise that in this day and age, it is still important to separate the wheat from the chaff.

Similarly, the much-praised hero of the Malay nationalists, Mat Kilau, is no match to Mat Sakau (greedy grabber), the ignoble nickname that was assigned to convicted felon Najib by his detractors.

Titles may have their place in society. However, we should also not forget that there are ordinary people in our midst who are hardworking, earn an honest living, are compassionate, helpful and have moral fibre.

These unsung heroes also make a difference in our society, and, therefore, deserve our collective admiration and appreciation. – September 13, 2022.