Mushrooming ‘recognition’: Malaysians are far too easily impressed by certificates, awards, plaques and honorary accolades, even when these honours are questionable, says the writer. — 123rf
IF there is an award for an Asean member country with the highest number of titled persons, we can be fairly certain that Malaysia will win hands down.
In fact, Malaysia could even win the APEC record – we can beat everyone in the Asia Pacific region.
Last week, a controversy cropped up when it was reported that business entities were allegedly using the “Asean name” to market and sell costly “Asean Record recognitions’’ to Malaysian businesses.
The matter first surfaced when the Peninsular Malaysia Consumers Association (PPSM) claimed that it had received multiple complaints from businesses on the matter.
The Consumer Association of Penang (CAP) followed up by urging all businesses to exercise caution and to verify any claims of Asean endorsement directly through official Asean channels.
So, how did we come to this point? It’s simple. Malaysia, how we love our titles.
We lobby and chase after titles and if we are to believe what we hear, we can also buy titles to look important.
We chase them, flaunt them, print them on name cards, social media profiles, wedding invitations and probably even on tombstones.
“Datuk”, “Tan Sri”, “Dr”, “Professor”, “Datuk Seri,” “Dato Sri” – the longer the string of titles before a name, the more important the person appears to be.
The Majlis Datuk Dato Malaysia (MDDM) receives information almost daily of dubious Malaysians who pass themselves off as Datuks even when they have not been awarded such a title.
Now, apparently, there is another addition to this curious national obsession – records and recognitions from obscure organisations, with grand-sounding international names.
The latest controversy involves a purported “Asean records” recognition and has once again exposed an uncomfortable truth.
Many Malaysians are not just content with getting Malaysian awards but crave regional, if not international, recognition.
It may just be a piece of paper and one even wonders if they actually add any value to a business but there are many businessmen who want it.
Malaysians are also far too easily impressed by certificates, plaques and honorary accolades, even when these honours are questionable, commercially driven or openly purchasable.
There are many businessmen who barely passed their school exams but would not mind paying for an honorary doctorate online. Many assume these institutions are recognised.
Many do not even have the decency to put a bracket to their “Dr” title to denote it’s an honorary title.
The issue is not whether achievements should be recognised. Genuine accomplishments deserve applause.
Malaysians who excel in science, sports, business, education or community service should indeed be celebrated.
The problem arises when recognition becomes transactional. In simple and blunt language – you paid for it without working for it.
Over the years, we have seen the mushrooming of honorary doctorates from dubious institutions, self-styled international awards, “world excellence” recognitions and now various “records” supposedly acknowledging extraordinary feats.
In many cases, recipients are quietly asked to pay processing fees, event table charges, membership subscriptions or “administrative costs”.
And then, the recipients proudly display these honours without any sense of shame.
What is troubling is not merely the existence of such organisations; there will always be businesses exploiting vanity and insecurity. The more worrying issue is why there remains such strong demand among Malaysians for these symbolic validations.
In many Asian societies, including Malaysia, titles confer status. The British are guilty, for sure. For them, titles and accolades open doors, command respect and create a social hierarchy.
In Malaysia, titles often carry enormous weight. At functions, introductions or salutations can sound like the reading of a royal honours list. Sometimes the titles are longer than the actual names.
We are conditioned from young to associate titles with authority and success. A person without one may seem less accomplished even if he or she possesses genuine expertise and integrity.
And yet, we see people with Tan Sri and Datuk titles being regularly arrested and charged in courts for all kinds of crime, including cheating.
This unhealthy fixation has also created an ecosystem where appearances matter more than substance.
Social media has amplified this phenomenon. Platforms like Instagram and LinkedIn reward image cultivation.
Photographs of gala dinners, award ceremonies and robe-wearing “graduations” create an illusion of prestige. Few bother to question the legitimacy behind the recognition.
Many respected professionals, scholars and corporate leaders rarely insist on being addressed by their honorifics. Their reputation speaks for itself.
It’s hard for the vain people to realise that genuine achievement requires no decorative embellishment.
A real record does not require self-promotion. It will be recognised and accorded all the respect it deserves – without the need to pay for it.
