Datuk Shah Rukh Khan says yes to Malaysian award

UPDATE: 6 DEC 2008
MELAKA, Dec 6 - Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan, resplendent in a black baju Melayu, samping and songkok, today received the state award conferring the "Datuk" title on him from the Melaka Yang Dipertua Negeri Tun Mohd Khalil Yaakob at Dewan Seri Negeri in Ayer Keroh here.
The 43-year-old actor held the estimated 1,000 guests at the investiture spellbound as he received the Darjah Mulia Seri Melaka (DMSM), conferred on him and 76 others in conjunction with the 70th birthday of Mohd Khalil on Oct 11.
Shah Rukh Khan was tied down by a busy work schedule and could not fly in from Mumbai to receive the award in October or on the later date, Nov 29.

Bollywood icon Shahrukh Khan has agreed to accept the title of Datuk bestowed upon him by the Malacca Governor for popularizing the beautiful World Heritage Site in his movies.
Malacca Chief Minister Mohd Ali Rustam said that the Indian superstar would be in Malacca next month to receive the award in person from Governor Mohd Khalil Yaakob.


Datuk Shah Rukh Khan says yes to Malaysian award


Pics from Shahrukh Khan's new upcoming film "RAB NE BANA DE JORI" which is produced by YASH RAJ FILMS and directed by ADITYA CHOPRA.Shahrukh Khan is having moustache in this film

He also defended the state's decision to confer Datukship on the actor saying Shah Rukh Khan had helped promote Malacca to an international audience through the film ‘One 2 Ka 4’ and ‘Don’.

"Shahrukh has agreed to accept the award and this message was conveyed to the governor's office. He will try to make it in November, however the date of the ceremony is yet to be fixed," Rustam quoted was saying by Star newspaper's online edition on Tuesday.

The Chief Minsiter said that arrangements for the actor's trip to Malacca were being made through former finance minister Daim Zainuddin, who was the one who mooted the idea.
When asked by reporters whether the state had any intention of retracting the award to the actor following protests from several quarters, as well as the issue being raised in Parliament on Monday, Rustam said there was no intention of retracting the award.


Pics from Shahrukh Khan's new upcoming film "RAB NE BANA DE JORI"

"How can you give something to a person and later take it back?" he said. He also defended the state's decision to confer Datukship on the actor saying Shah Rukh Khan had helped promote Malacca to an international audience through the film ‘One 2 Ka 4’ and ‘Don’.
"If the state wanted to get this sort of publicity on CNN, it would have had to pay millions," he said adding "the move to confer the award on the actor might prompt him to shoot more films here.”