COMMENT It does not really matter whether the culprit is a Datuk or a Datuk Seri; even if he is without a title, the assault case involving a trucker in Ampang recently is still setting tongues wagging even one week after the incident.

Even until today, the person’s identity has not been revealed yet. As the employer, we would have expected him or her to stop the bodyguards from further injuring the truck driver.

This is one reason why people are still asking, “Who is the owner of the Mercedes-Benz involved in the assault? Why did he not stop the men he hired from attacking the trucker? Why is he hiding behind a veil of secrecy if he was not involved?”

This incident has raised concerns over how some people have been awarded the datukship, when it should be given only to men and women of honour.

Cases of two more Datuks

The other set of questions people are now asking are: “Who is the Datuk Seri who was caught on video carrying a bolt cutter, seemingly ready to attack the security guard at a condominium in Penang?”

Has he been charged over his act of aggression? What is happening after he was released on police bail?

It is important that we do not allow such people to abuse the royal titles that are supposedly given to people who have earned merits for their contribution towards society.

This came into the spotlight again after red-shirt leader Jamal Mohd Yunos claimed that he was awarded his datukship from the Sultan of Pahang.

Despite being a division leader of Sungai Besar in Selangor, and most of his businesses are located in the state of Selangor, he did not receive his datukship from Selangor, but Pahang.

The people would like to know how he earned himself a datukship, especially with the allegedly uncouth behaviour he exhibited during his stint in the spotlight. And, at this juncture, he may still be making his bizarre protest at the Selangor state secretariat, probably seated on one of his beds, hoping to get a massage.

This has overshadowed even his most comical act, when he turned up clad in towels at the front gate of the Selangor secretariat office, demanding to have his shower at Selangor Menteri Besar Azmin Ali’s office.

To me, he looked and behaved more like a jester to me, he did not live up to his status as someone with a Datuk or Datuk Seri title.