Datuk/Dato' title obsessions in Malaysia.

  So I overheard a friend telling another friend that I am filthy rich and my parents would just give me anything I want. Why? Because I am an anak Dato'. Like... hello? Where do they get the idea that a Dato' must have loads of money? That title was conferred to my father by a state ruler because of his service to the country, not because of his flourish business and not because he paid a hefty sum to get the title. And no, my father did not receive any Dato'ship allowance okay.

  That's why I did not introduce myself as, "Hi, I'm LateBloomer Dato' Blablabla." People will tend to think that I am from a well to do and respected family and then they start to act extra nice, extra polite to me. 

  Gone are the days when a Dato'ship is a respectable and exclusive title. I bet you must have known so many Dato's by now. For example, on the same row of our house, there are three Dato's we know. I have another uncle who's a Dato', my grandmother's neighbour is also a Dato'.

Dato'

Dato' is the most common highly regarded title in Malaysia. The wife of a Dato' is a Datin, except in Terengganu where they are known as "To' Puan" (not to be confused with "Toh Puan", the wife of a non-hereditary "Tun").

The Dato' (pronounced in similar manner to Datuk) may only be conferred by a hereditary royal ruler of one of the nine Malay states.

There are also hereditary Datos from Negeri Sembilan, where titles are held for life by heads of certain families and passed on to their heirs. These are not conferred by the ruler, but passed on through the customary native laws. The wife of a hereditary Dato' is addressed by courtesy as "To' Puan".

In other states, certain noble families also have hereditary titles and are addressed as Dato'. For example, the current Prime Minister of Malaysia, Dato' Sri Najib Tun Razak, is hereditaryOrang Kaya Indera Shahbandar of Pahang. He would have been addressed as "Dato'" even if he had not been conferred a "Dato' Sri" (SSAP)^[2] state award of Pahang.

Foreigners may be awarded such titles in a supernumerary and honorary capacity and use the title locally.

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