…is Fan Bingbing, the global star in a transaction of a title

Fan Bingbing receiving her datukship from the Yang di-Pertua Negeri of Melaka. Photo: penyulamaksara/Facebook

Fan Bingbing (范冰冰) rode the jet stream to Malaysia three days ago. Yesterday, she arrived in Melaka to receive the datukship awarded to her by the state as part of the birthday celebrations of the Yang di-Pertua Negeri of Melaka, Tun Mohd Ali Rustam. The investiture ceremony was held at the Balai Istiadat (Ceremonial Hall) of the Seri Negeri, the official administrative and ceremonial complex for the state of Melaka. Ms Fan arrived, dressed to the diplomatic nines, in a baju kurung (traditional Malay dress) that befitted a state event. Interestingly, Ms Fan did not share images of her time in Melaka on her socials. But hours ago, she did add photos of her time promoting her beauty line, Fan Beauty Diary, in the capital Kuala Lumpur. There were two outfits shown: a pink ensemble by the indie UK brand Into The East at Sunway Pyramid and a gown, also pink, by Tony Ward Couture at The Exchange TRX.

At the state affair in Melaka, her pale “mint green” outfit, designed by Melinda Looi, was more tradisional. She glided across the hall to receive the title in a style that would be classified as a baju kurung moden (a contemporary take of a traditional look), characterised by its loose silhouette of a top dress over a floor-length skirt. The baju (top) has an asymmetric neckline that dropped, off-shoulder, on the right, exposing a laced and beaded inner garment. The hem went past her knee, after which a gored sarong, panelled in lace that matched her right shoulder, added to the ‘modern’ styling. Her jet-black hair was pulled back to a double chignon, with a lower half holding a sheer selendang (scarf) that reached her derriere. She looked suitably stately, even somewhat bridal, walking towards the Tun Mohd Ali Rustam with confident poise, as if she was prepared for this all her life.

Fan Bingbing kissing the insignia awarded to her as part of her new title. Screen shot: melakahariini/Instagram

The state honour Ms. Fan received was the Darjah Pangkuan Seri Melaka (or Companion Class II of the Exalted Order of Malacca), one of the state’s highest awards. As the letters DPSM are post-nominal, they can henceforth be placed after her name, a privilege reserved for individuals who have made what the state deems “significant contributions”. Ms. Fan, who can now be addressed as ‘Datuk’, a formal recognition of her role as the Melaka Tourism Friendship Ambassador for 2024. The official justification is her singlehanded boosting of the state’s tourism profile, “globally”, following a visit in June of that year that generated massive media attention. The prestigious title, it appears, was awarded not for years of service or long-term commitment, but for a swift boost in online searches.

Following her conferment, Ms Fan told the media that she was very happy to receive such a “厉害的荣誉 (lihai de rongyu)” or great honour, informing her fans that she shall be back to Melaka in September to do “很多很多的新工作 (henduohenduo de xingongzuo)” or much more new work. Whether it would be paid work or to live up to her datukship, she did not say. According to reports from Malaysian media, her unspecified new work will be a continuation of her role as the state’s tourism ambassador. Her previous involvement led to a significant increase in Chinese tourist arrivals and generated a reported 1.5 billion impressions on China’s social media platforms. Her Datukship is seen as a recognition of these efforts and an encouragement for her to continue her work in boosting Melaka’s profile. Is it possible that if she hits another multi-billion figure, she would be awarded another title?