Not forgetting the same "favourite singers" at almost
every dinner. They must have profited quite a bit from being branded as Dr
Mahathir's choice singers for 22 years. One actually ended up getting a Datuk
award.

To get the facts right for sure this time, The Star
called up Nori, the daughter of Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, to find out
what he truly likes. She liked the idea and, in fact, followed the little
contest that we ran with great enthusiasm.

Despite having covered the Prime Minister for almost two
decades, sometimes with glimpses into his private moments, the contest was
still a learning experience. For the 6,000 over people who took part, it must
have been fun, too.

I am sure it was not the prizes that the readers wanted
to win. I am sure Malaysians wanted to interact with their Prime Minister, who
has struck a chord since he took over the leadership.

From the overwhelming response, it was also clear
that they wanted to know Abdullah the person, a hugely popular figure. One
reader called up and demanded that the contest be extended because "we are
talking about our Pak Lah, you know".

But how the readers marked the multiple-choice answers
provided showed they still have much to learn about their prime minister. Some
of it was probably wishful thinking and some preconceived notions of his
personality.

Many participants put nasi kandar as Pak Lah's favourite,
presumably because he is a Penangite. I am guilty in some ways, too, because I
have written a few times about the dish being served at his gatherings.

Even I was floored when Nori said that nasi kandar was
not Pak Lah's favourite. I know for a fact that his friends have always
introduced nasi kandar shops, which they claimed to be the best, to his family.

It has now dawned on me that if he insisted that nasi
kandar be served during media functions it is because he knows that many of his
journalist friends love the spicy Penang dish.

Nasi lemak is also certainly not on his menu because he
has become health conscious over the years, watching the kind of food that he
eats. Nasi lemak may be an all-time Malaysian favourite but not for Pak Lah.

Most readers got his favourite colour right though. He
likes blue but his favourite destination is not New
Zealand. The majority of participants
thought it was the best place for him to rest.

After going through the entries, I decided to book a trip
to New Zealand.
There must be something about the place that I do not know about. Japan
is Pak Lah's number one choice, maybe because his mother-in-law is Japanese.

But the best part is that most Malaysians, at least those
who took part in the contest, think that Pak Lah loves watching The Godfather,
a movie about the Italian mafia.

Perhaps they think he fits the image of a tough guy even
though some consider him too nice a person.

The stereotyping continues with many readers assuming
that Bobby, a Hindustani movie, would be his favourite movie. Actually, it's My
Fair Lady. Like Dr Mahathir, he likes old movies, too.

There are other favourites of Pak Lah – he enjoys
collecting walking sticks and his favourite sport is golf, no surprises for
this one. We left this out of the contest because many Malaysians would know
this.

As much as Malaysians enjoy this triviality, they would
be glad to know that Pak Lah himself has enjoyed the contest just as much. Told
about the answers that readers could choose from, he laughed.

It has certainly been a good first year for him. As the
year comes to an end, most of us would have planned our holidays but the next
two months would be a packed one for him.

On his schedule are trips to South America,
the Caribbean and West Asia. Perhaps
Pak Lah may want to consider New Zealand
for a holiday with his family.

In short, if a person has not put in the years of work to
earn his academic title, he does not deserve to use it. It is appalling when a
businessman who did not even complete his secondary education hands out name
cards with "Dr" in front of his name.

A degree should reflect the person's level of education
and training, not his purchasing power and certainly not for prestige purposes.

The blatant buying of academic degrees is not something
new. It has, however, become more rampant lately. Newspapers can no longer
check on people with such dubious titles.

Some years back, a prominent civil servant in Kuala
Lumpur was exposed for having a fake doctorate. He had
used that title for many years on an unsuspecting public and when caught, he
blamed it on the media, saying it was the newspapers who had called him a "Dr".
It never occurred to him, of course, to correct the "mistake".

Last week, The Star reported that for under RM3,000,
anyone who has access to the Internet can buy a PhD in any field from numerous
bogus sites.

While most doctorates take anywhere between three and
five years to obtain, these online PhDs can reach you within a month. And if
you are willing to pay more, you can even purchase a deal that includes a mock
convocation ceremony complete with a hired foreigner posing as a foreign
university vice-chancellor.

I was told a prominent businessman paid RM30,000 for a
fake doctorate from a foreign university, including having a
distinguished-looking Caucasian confer the title on him.

He invited over 100 people, including local politicians,
to the "convocation" at a hotel function room. A citation was read out, listing
his achievements, which were mostly on social and community development.

Another local politician did something similar. Despite
being a qualified medical doctor, he wanted an honorary doctorate. So, a big
function was held and the media was invited to record the event.

Never mind if there were sniggers all round because the
only thing that mattered to him was he felt important and proud.

All these fake degrees are harmless in some ways because,
after a while, the novelty wears off and the title would be dropped.

I personally know of four businessmen who had used the
"Dr" title previously. Despite having no tertiary education, they have proven
themselves to be very good businessmen.

They have contributed to society by making generous
donations to charity, especially welfare and religious organisations. They have
proven themselves and earned the respect of their peers.

There was no need for them to buy these titles in the
first place. Perhaps they lacked confidence because they did not have paper
qualifications. Craving for respectability, they forget that character makes a
person – not a piece of paper.

What is more disturbing is the allegation that some
administrators of local colleges are using the title of doctor, too.

These administrators may have a degree or two but they do
not have doctorates. Their "doctorates" are merely honorary degrees from
foreign universities which their colleges have business ties through twinning
programmes.

These honorary degrees are genuine but do not entitle
these administrators to use the "Dr" title. The grumbling naturally comes from
lecturers who have spent years earning their stripes.

One can understand their anger when they are instructed
by the owners of these colleges to address their superiors – in this case the
chief executive officer or director – as "Dr" to boost the image of the
colleges.

It's cheating. The sad part is that the college owners do
not realise they are sending the wrong message to the students – that it's all
right to put a title in front of your name even if you don't work for it.

Honorifics, whether Datuk or Doctor, should not be
treated like commodities in an open market. They must be meritoriously awarded
in order to be respected by the public.

They are the ones who spend the first 20 minutes of their
opening address at functions and party meetings raving about the ministers and
leaders in attendance.

Last week, to our surprise, some of the Barisan Nasional
backbenchers stood up and criticised Works Minister Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu in
the Dewan Rakyat when they were not satisfied with the manner in which he
answered questions on the Middle Ring Road 2 flyover.

The stretch of road had to be closed because of cracks in
the pillars while reports from independent consultants showed that the cracks
were the result of a design fault.

The MPs were also unhappy that the minister had
blacklisted the contractor who built the Sultan
Ismail Specialist
Hospital in Johor Baru. The
hospital had to be closed for a few months because of the malfunctioning
air-conditioning system.

On Friday, newspapers reported that the Anti-Corruption
Agency had begun its probe on the newly opened East Coast Expressway following
complaints of irregularities in its construction.

The investigating team, including two engineering
forensic experts, was at the expressway to gather soil samples and carry out
measurements on the four-lane expressway.

Backbenchers Club chairman Datuk Shahrir Samad is right
in saying that MPs cannot remain silent when there are discrepancies and they
are only doing their duty when questioning problems in the ministry.

The people did not elect Yang Berhormats to warm the
Dewan Rakyat seats or to get close to powerful personalities.

We expect them to speak up on national and state issues
affecting the people. They should not waste their time bringing up petty
matters that should be addressed at municipal council level.

We do not want MPs to be embroiled in controversies to
the extent that they get kicked out of Parliament. Neither should we tolerate
quirky MPs who make racial or sexist remarks to get their names quoted in the
media.

Ministers should not take it personally when criticised.
These criticisms are made relating to their ministerial work. As public
figures, they cannot expect praises all the time from the media. Some ministers
cannot even tolerate a little criticism because, as leaders, they have become
so used to being showered with praises.

Well, they had better get used to taking some knocks
because Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi has given the green light to the
people to make constructive criticism, which he describes as a blessing.

The Prime Minister said it was a blessing when leaders
were criticised because it meant they had people telling them they had diverted
from the right path or had become boastful without realising it.

It is the duty of ministers, who have access to
information, to explain satisfactorily to MPs and the media to help them
understand the problems affecting a certain project.

Recently, a certain minister telephoned me to explain why
some projects had been badly managed. He explained that his staff were trying
their best to rectify the problems but due to the shortage of money, there was
nothing much he could do.

I suggested that he explain to the media his financial
constraints because he would also want to upgrade the facilities in his
ministry if he had the money. If it is not properly explained, the public may
assume that he is incompetent – when he isn't.

In all fairness to Samy, who has become the target of
many MPs, he has a reputation of personally taking on tough questions from
opposition MPs. Samy may not be the most popular government leader but he has
never run away from a fight.

Some ministers delegate the task of answering questions
to their deputy or parliamentary secretary but not Samy. Despite the ferocity
of the attacks against him last week, I can bet he will be at Dewan Rakyat when
sitting resumes after the fasting month to face the angry MPs.

The vociferous MPs, on the other hand, should not indulge
in "selective persecution" when taking on ministers. Their targets should not
be just ministers from smaller Barisan component parties.

Samy must also learn not to be unnecessarily defensive
and emotional when someone points a finger at bad work. He should not be too
quick to blame it on God when something goes wrong.

The speech had to be different from those delivered by
the rest of the Barisan Nasional component parties, which had already held
their general assemblies.

But more importantly, it had to be substantive, refreshing and
meaningful.

It could not be one in which the party leader makes another demand for
rhetoric's sake.

While the MCA represented the Chinese community, the youthful MCA president
wanted to stress one point – the "Rakyat Malaysia" spirit must be nurtured and
strengthened.

He wanted Malaysians to draw on their common strengths and not harp on their
differences.

With countries becoming more competitive in the age of globalisation, it was
crucial for Malaysians, regardless of race, to pool their strengths together to
compete with others and not with each other.

Abdullah struck the same chord in his opening speech.

Malaysian companies owned by different communities, he said, should come
together and form competitive consortia to tap the huge business potential
overseas.

These words came from two like-minded leaders who understood clearly the
economic impact Malaysians can make when they combine their talents and
resources.

"Rakyat Malaysia," as Ong correctly pointed out, was not a new political
terminology.

It was not something idealistic, good only for discussions at university
seminars.

Instead, it was a reality that already existed.

The spirit of "Rakyat Malaysia," demonstrated by all of us so many times and in
so many ways, shows what we already are because we love Malaysia.

It is not a flag-waving exercise but an instinctive feeling.

Tying in with being competitive, Ong also spoke about lifelong learning, a
campaign launched just two days before the party's annual general assembly on
Sunday.

Drawing on the support of the party and the private sector, Ong hoped to open
up community centres, company meeting rooms and lecture halls of private
colleges for short- and medium-term courses.

The idea is simple – make it easy for Malaysians from all races and educational
backgrounds to learn a new skill or language.

It could be as simple as attending a series of lectures on personal
development.

It is an ambitious project but once it takes off it would benefit the country
in the long run.

From teaching homemakers how to use computers to helping others take up a
business management course after work, the MCA plan would surely be
beneficial.

Serious in wanting to make the campaign truly non-racial and non-political, MCA
leaders have insisted that the campaign logo, which symbolised the country's
three main races, must not have any hint of a party link.

To make sure the MCA delegates understood what the party's plan was about, one
resolution tabled and passed at the assembly was that the Chinese community
must respond to the challenges of globalisation which would open Malaysia to
worldwide competition in all fields.

The message was clear – the competition is not between Ahmad, Ah Chong and
Muthu but from a powerful combination of foreigners waiting at our shores.
Let's join hands to face them as a team.

Aware of this, Abdullah sent a note listing the names of
a few people who grew up with him in Kepala Batas. On the list were his
teacher, a Chinese man, an Indian engineer and a grassroots Umno leader.

His circle of friends, whether personal or political,
continues to be multi-racial. The Prime Minister has taken great pains to
emphasise his commitment to multi-racialism at the personal level.

Pak Lah, as we all know, has made it clear that he is a
leader of all Malaysians and not just one community. He has taken the
unprecedented step of sending Christmas cards to Christians and attended open
house at a church. He has opened a conference of world Christian leaders.

That is the hallmark of a true moderate Malaysian leader.
He has been consistent in his beliefs throughout his unblemished political
career. There has not been a single racist remark from him.

But, sadly, some politicians have of late gone back to
the old racial game. It is sad because their statements have come so soon after
the general election and national day.

Irrespective of whether they are politicians from Umno,
MCA, MIC, DAP or PAS, they must exercise great care that their statements do
not hurt the feelings of any particular ethnic group. The same principle
applies to journalists and Internet bloggers whose work reaches a large section
of the population.

I am concerned over the comments made by some politicians
and Internet writers recently, more so when the Prime Minister is committed to
national unity and has made it a major part of his work agenda.

As more racially mixed constituencies are being created,
politicians must remember that they need the votes of all races, especially if
the fight is close.

It is easy for some to play to the gallery, especially at
their party assemblies, and make themselves communal heroes, but in this age of
modern communication, their remarks and statements are reported in all
newspapers and websites.

It is even easier for politicians to forget about their
voters after winning an election. Come the next general election, these leaders
will have to face voters of other races. And they will need the support of
other parties in the same alliance.

During the recent general election, I remember a young
Barisan Nasional politician seeking the help of component parties because he
was having a difficult time with a minority group who would not forgive him for
some racial remarks he made some years ago.

Leaders of component parties, expecting the difficulties
ahead of the polls, suggested to the young politician to hold a gathering with
the minority voters to win them over. If he had to, he could apologise
privately without the presence of the media. But he was too proud.

In desperation, during the campaigning, he called up the
top leaders to seek help. Luckily for him, he pulled through.

Politicians who play the racial angle must be prepared to
face the consequences of their actions.

They may not realise it but their statements will return
to haunt them. Their opponents will certainly remind the voters, and these
politicians will realise that making threats by bringing up the black spots in
our history will prove to be a costly mistake.

Mature politicians like Abdullah have proven that a good,
decent leader does not need to be controversial and outspoken. Racial threats
and comments not only hurt the people but also the party's image.

The politics of moderation and consensus has been the
hallmark of our founding fathers. Malaysia
is what it is today because of the wisdom of Umno, MCA and MIC leaders.

The press can help to keep out politicians who play the
racial card by ignoring them. They don't deserve to have their names mentioned
anywhere in the media. Where party bosses are concerned, these ungrateful
elected representatives should simply be dropped in the next elections.

Education can be fun, creative and continuous if the
lessons are correctly carried out and, in the end, help upgrade the skills and
resourcefulness of Malaysians to enable them be more competitive.

From qigong exercises to calligraphy to basic computer skills to listening
to talks on management, the MCA is joining the private sector to open their
doors in this ambitious project of making learning relevant.

Under the project, Ong's brainchild, seven topics would be covered emphasising
education, literature, community, economy, living skills, culture and national
interaction.

Ong visited Hong Kong University recently with officials from Kolej Tunku Abdul
Rahman and Kojadi, an MCA education co-operative, to learn from the
university's experience in successfully promoting lifelong education
development.

The university's School of Professional and Continuing Education has brought to
life its slogan of "bringing university to the people" where diplomas,
associate degrees and even pre-associate degrees are awarded to those who sign
up for its courses.

"Adults who are working have developed themselves by learning a new language, a
new skill or acquired a degree through such programmes tailored towards
self-development," Ong said.

He said the MCA wanted to expand the programme to touch all levels of society,
from school dropouts to housewives to professionals, adding that the party
would open its buildings to facilitate this campaign.

"We want Malaysians to keep in touch with the latest trends and movements so as
not to lag behind. Converting theories into pragmatic living will provide
Malaysians an added advantage," he said in an interview.

Ong said the MCA Lifelong Learning Campaign would complement the government's
Continuous Study Master Plan, adding that there were currently 539 private
colleges and universities with over 314,000 students while the 11 public
universities and six university colleges had over 290,000 students.

To achieve the country's Vision 2020 goal of making Malaysia a developed
country, the government needs to increase sharply the number of graduates and
school-leavers with diplomas.

With the support of local colleges, the MCA hopes to carry out short- and
long-term courses for different levels where diplomas would be given to those
who sign up and attend the courses.

For the dropouts, it can be a simple car repair or beancurd making course while
for businessmen, it could be on upgrading their competitiveness in small and
medium-sized industries.

Officials said many small businessmen wanted to know how they could seek
financial and organisational support as well as strengthen their networking
with fellow Malaysian businessmen, especially those venturing into China.

Then, there are those who merely want to learn simple things like personal
financial management for which a day's course can be conducted while talks on
Confucian and Sun Tzu principles can be tied in to a management perspective to
make it more relevant to present-day living.

In a symbolic gesture to illustrate the point that learning is a lifelong
process, Ong and his deputy Datuk Seri Chan Kong Choy together with other party
leaders will launch the campaign at KL Sentral tomorrow.

From Sentral, they will travel to the Ampang station near the MCA
headquarters where the party will hold its annual general assembly on Sunday to
be opened by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.

Learning is like life's journey – it begins the moment we are born.

Some of these individuals, especially businessmen, are
hardly in their 40s and their contribution to the state or nation – a main
criterion – is almost unknown. Culture, Arts and Heritage Minister Datuk Seri
Dr Rais Yatim is the only politician who has been bold enough to say that it is
common knowledge Datukships could be bought in some states.

Malaysia
is a small place. In political and social circles, fingers are pointed when a
person is said to have bought his title.

Perceptions become more negative if the person is known
to have a dubious background, whether he is a community leader, journalist,
politician or businessman. It makes a mockery out of the award when the
questionable character of the recipient is public knowledge but the state ruler
is not aware.

The sad reality is that many businessmen and politicians
consider the title ''Datuk'' as a new status symbol. It is not good enough to
have a fat bank account, a fleet of cars and a bungalow with a swimming pool –
the honorific must be there, too.

More stringent conditions are certainly needed before
someone is recommended for a Datukship.

Too many Malaysians are walking around with this title.
Anyone could claim to be a Datuk; the man in the street has no way of verifying
the authenticity of a title.

At one time, some Malaysians had sought titles
purportedly awarded by rulers of obscure kingdoms from the Philippines
and Indonesia.

But when the Malay Rulers voiced their objection, these
''royalty'' stopped holding their investiture ceremonies at hotels. Still,
there are Mindanao and Solo Datuks walking around
without an iota of shame.

Then, there are wannabe Datuks who put the crests of
shooting clubs or association of ex-servicemen or policemen on their cars, with
the hope of passing off as members of the Council of Datuks.

Policemen have been fooled by motorists who display such
crests, simply because these emblems are on luxury cars.

In 2002, the different states dished out 6,314 awards and
medals, most of which do not carry any honorific. But over 500 individuals were
awarded the title of Datuk. In 2001, over 600 Malaysians were bestowed the
Datukship.

Some states seem to have earned a reputation for giving
out huge numbers of awards but this would only diminish the value of the
titles. It would be wiser if an average of 25 Datukships are awarded by each
ruler annually – some say even this is too many.

Titles from Selangor, Johor and Sarawak
have been well regarded because efforts have been made to limit the number of
recipients.

Each year, hundreds of nominations for Datukship are
submitted to the various state authorities several months before the birthday
of a ruler.

The nominations – from political parties, NGOs, trade
groups, and professional and sports bodies – are supposed to list the nominee's
contributions to the state or country.

A vetting committee comprising a representative from the
Mentri Besar or Chief Minister's office, the state secretariat and various
other departments will then deliberate on the nominations. The names of
shortlisted candidates are supposed to be sent to the police for checking. The
ruler also has his quota of candidates for titles.

A one-off financial contribution to any particular
charity by a businessman should not be regarded as a prerequisite to earning an
award.

For the sake of the integrity, dignity and credibility of
our rulers, it is time to shorten the list of recipients. At one time, the
title of Tan Sri was awarded only to a retired politician, judge, community
leader or businessman – now, some state and national leaders outrank the Prime
Minister in terms of honorific.

Malaysians want to look up to leaders who hold such
titles, but they know something isn't quite right.

The conferment of titles on commoners is an ancient
tradition dating back to the days of the Srivijaya Palembang Empire and the
Malacca Sultanate. It has a distinguished tradition that has continued until
today. It is an institution that must be defended and protected.

The Conference of Rulers should consider proposing that
any titleholder, irrespective of ranking, would automatically lose his award on
being convicted of an offence. It is outrageous for a prison warden to have to
address a prisoner as Yang Berbahagia or Datuk.

Similarly, those who have fled the country because they
are being sought by police or the Securities Commission should also have their
titles revoked.

Some form of register or website is necessary for the
public to check the authenticity of people claiming to be Datuks. I have lost
track of the number of telephone calls from certain institutions seeking
information on individuals claiming to be titleholders.

They presume that because I work in a newspaper, I would
be able to verify a person's claim to a title. In reality, there is no ''master
list'' to check against.

Worse, there are some who feel the need to buy themselves
an honorary doctorate after getting their Datukship.

I used to laugh at corrupt African tribal leaders, in
their flowing robes, who went around calling themselves doctors when their only
qualification was political witchery.

I have stopped laughing at them.