When will the few genuine Datuks defend their dignity, protect the sanctity of the ‘Datuk’ award and fight off the ‘Latuks’ of society?

The ‘Cash-for-Datukships’ fiasco has been brewing for decades, but last week’s shooting in Penang has propelled the debate into overdrive, on social media.

Last Thursday, businessman Ong Teik Kwong was shot dead in his car, near the Penang bridge. His alleged murderer, who was seated in the passenger seat, had drawn a revolver and shot Ong in the neck.

The police confirmed that Ong was the head of ‘Gang 24' and had been under police surveillance. ‘Gang 24', and 13 other secret societies, ran protection rackets.

On being conferred his Datukship, Ong’s peers paid RM150,000 for 50 full-page adverts in the local Chinese paper to congratulate him.

It is sad that the vetting system for these awards had failed. The age of the recipient is a dead giveaway.

Thugs like Ong sully the few genuine Datuks, tarnish the songkok which they wear for the investiture ceremony and render meaningless the award system. In other words, having criminals as Datuks cheapens the award.

Worse still, police checks on the criminal records of nominees for the Datukship had also failed. What sort of message is being passed to the rakyat when a known criminal prides himself on being called a Datuk?

Were the character checks conducted by the police less than thorough? Was Ong vetted? Indeed, are any of the ‘Datuks-duit’ vetted?

Ong’s notorious past was no secret.

Ordinary Malaysians try to be model citizens. When they read reports of Ong’s death in the local dailies, they become enraged because of his award and the fact that the police knew about his brutal and murderous past.

Last Thursday, the alleged murderer, having shot Ong, took aim at a person in the back seat of the car, but despite being shot, this man escaped, and fled. Two innocent bystanders were also killed, whilst five more were injured by a volley of stray bullets.

Initially, some people felt sorrow for Ong, who had died a brutal death. He was only 32. Their sadness was replaced with rage on discovering that the alleged murderer was the businessman’s own bodyguard.

A young man who needs an armed bodyguard cannot be of unblemished character.