Malay styles and titles
The Malay language has a complex system of styles, titles and honorifics, which are used extensively in Brunei, Malaysia, and the southern Philippines.
Malaysia, Brunei and several provinces in Indonesia regularly award honorary and life titles. What follows in this article is specific to the Malaysian system. References to Brunei and Indonesia are given when pertinent.
In Malaysia, all non-hereditary titles can be granted to both men and women. Every title has a form which can be used by the wife of the title holder. This form is not used by the husband of a titled woman; such a woman will bear a title which is the same as a titled man.
Former use
, whose Malay royalty was abolished by the British colonial government in 1891, has adopted civic titles for its leaders.The Philippines historically used Malay titles during its pre-Hispanic period, as evidenced by the titles of historical figures such as Rajah Sulayman, Lakandula and Dayang Kalangitan. Malay titles are still used by the royal houses of Sulu, Maguindanao, Buayan, and Maranao on the southern Philippine island of Mindanao, but these are retained on a traditional basis, as the 1987 Constitution explicitly reaffirms the abolition of royal and noble titles in the republic.
Indonesia, meanwhile, as a republic, does not recognize hereditary rulers and aristocratic systems. Nevertheless, their royal titles and honors are still used as courtesy titles.
Usage
The sequence that should be used when formally writing or addressing a person's name is: honorary style, professional rank, royal hereditary title, federal title, state title, non-royal hereditary title, Doctor, Haji/Hajjah, name.For instance in the Brunei, the title for one of Bruneian traditional ministers whose honorary title would be Yang Berhormat, profession rank is Pehin Orang Kaya Seri Setia Lela, state title is Dato Seri Setia, traditional Bruneian Malay prefix title for non-royalty is Awang.
When in the home state, the state title may precede the federal title. An example would be former Chief Minister of Sarawak, Adenan Satem, whose federal title is Tan Sri and state title is Pehin Sri. His title would be expressed as either:
- Yang Amat Berhormat Tan Sri Pehin Sri Dr. Haji Adenan bin Haji Satem
- Yang Amat Berhormat Pehin Sri Tan Sri Dr. Haji Adenan bin Haji Satem
- Yang Amat Berhormat Tun Dr. Mahathir bin Mohamad
- Yang Amat Berhormat Tun Datuk Seri Panglima Dr. Mahathir bin Mohamad
- Yang Amat Berhormat Tun Pehin Sri Dr. Mahathir bin Mohamad
- Yang Amat Berhormat Tun Dato Laila Utama Dr. Mahathir bin Mohamad
- Yang Amat Mulia General Tengku Dato' al-Haj
Malay royalty
Brunei
The following styles and official titles are used for members of the royal house in Brunei:- Sultan dan Yang di-Pertuan Negara Brunei Darussalam is the official title of the Sultan of Brunei, styled as Kebawah Duli Yang Maha Mulia Paduka Seri Baginda
- Raja Isteri, is the official title of the ruler's most senior consort, styled as Kebawah Duli Yang Maha Mulia Paduka Seri Baginda.
- Pengiran Isteri is the official title of the ruler's junior consort, styled as Duli Yang Teramat Mulia Paduka Seri.
- Begawan Sultan the office of the former abdicated sultan, styled as Kebawah Duli Yang Teramat Mulia Paduka Seri
- Begawan Raja is the official title for the queen mother, styled as Kebawah Duli Yang Teramat Mulia Paduka Suri Seri.
- Pengiran Muda Mahkota is the official title of the heir-apparent and the crown prince, styled as Duli Yang Teramat Mulia Paduka Seri
- Pengiran Muda is the official title of a blood prince, they are styled differently.
- *The sons of the Sultan, if they do not have supplementary titles, are styled Duli Yang Teramat Mulia Paduka Seri.
- *The sons of the Pengiran Muda Mahkota are styled Yang Teramat Mulia
- Pengiran Anak Puteri is the title for the daughters of the Sultan. They are styled Yang Teramat Mulia Paduka Seri.
- Pengiran Anak Isteri the consorts of the sons of the Sultan, it differs according to different princes.
- * The consort of the Pengiran Muda Mahkota is styled Yang Teramat Mulia Paduka Seri.
- * The consort of the Pengiran Perdana Wazir is styled Yang Teramat Mulia and has no English style.
- * The consort of the other sons of the Sultan is styled Yang Amat Mulia and has no English style.
- Pengiran Anak is the title for the sultan's other grandchildren. However, they are styled differently.
- * Daughters of the Pengiran Muda Mahkota are styled Yang Teramat Mulia
- * Other grandchildren of the Sultan are styled Yang Amat Mulia with no English equivalent.
- * sons-in-law of the Sultan whom are elevated to nobility are styled Yang Amat Mulia.
- * The lower royalty The Cheteria are all entitled to the style Yang Amat Mulia.
A person who marries a distant member of the royal family is given the title Pengiran Anak; the title is lost if they divorce.
- Pengiran Isteri the wife of a prince, usually with royal heritage
- Pengiran Bini the wife of a prince, usually with non-royal heritage
Another minor royal titles include:
- Tengku Putera for male
- Tengku Puteri for female
Malaysia
- Kebawah Duli Yang Maha Mulia is used for the Yang di-Pertuan Agong and state rulers alike. The title is a reference to the rulers being subjected to the Law of God, with their powers being dust compared to the power of Allah. However, the Yang di-Pertuan Agong also uses the prefix "Seri Paduka Baginda" and in English, his title is often translated as "His Majesty". However, the style differs from state to state as according to states' tradition.
Federal
- Yang di-Pertuan Agong is the official title of the ruler of all Malaysia, elected from among the nine heads of the royal families. The title is often glossed "King" in English. He is styled as Kebawah Duli Yang Maha Mulia Seri Paduka Baginda.
- Timbalan Yang di-Pertuan Agong is the official title of the deputy ruler of all Malaysia whom is also elected from among the nine heads of the royal families. The title is often glossed "Deputy King" in English. He is styled as Kebawah Duli Yang Maha Mulia.
- Raja Permaisuri Agong is the official title of the consort of the ruler of Malaysia. The title is often glossed "Queen" in English. He is style as Kebawah Duli Yang Maha Mulia Seri Paduka Baginda.
- Yang di-Pertua Negeri is not a royal title, but the title of "The Head of the State" for the state of Penang, Melaka, Sabah and Sarawak which do not have hereditary rulers. Yang di-Pertua Negeri is installed by His Majesty Yang di-Pertuan Agong. The title is sometimes translated as "Governor" in English. They are styled Tuan/Puan Yang Terutama.
Negeri Sembilan
- Yang di-Pertuan Besar is the official title of the ruler of Negeri Sembilan. He is styled as Duli Yang Maha Mulia.
- Tunku Ampuan Besar is the title of the queen consort of royal parentage for Negeri Sembilan. She is styled as Duli Yang Maha Mulia.
- Tunku Ampuan is the title of queen dowager. She is styled as Yang Maha Mulia.
- Tunku Puan Besar is the title of the senior queen dowager. She is styled Yang Maha Mulia.
- The children of ruler has the title and style of Yang Amat Mulia Tunku.
- The fiefs of the state, The Undangs are for the areas of Jelebu, Johol, Sungai Ujong and Rembau. They are all styled Yang Teramat Mulia. Their spouses are titled Tok Puan with the style Yang Mulia.
- The Tunku Besar of Tampin, a semi-autonomous area ruled by the Al-Qadri family. He is styled Yang Teramat Mulia. His spouse is accorded the title of Tunku Isteri with the style of Yang Mulia.
- The Tunku Besar of Seri Menanti is the title of eldest son of Yang di-Pertuan Besar. He is styled Yang Amat Mulia.
Selangor
- Sultan and Yang di-Pertuan is the title of the ruler of Selangor. He is styled Duli Yang Maha Mulia.
- Tengku Ampuan is the title of the queen consort of royal parentage while Tengku Permaisuri is for queens of non-royal blood. She is styled as Duli Yang Maha Mulia.
- Che' Puan Besar is the title of second consort of the ruler if he is still marries with queen consort. She is styled as Yang Teramat Mulia
- Paduka Bonda Raja is the title of the Sultan's mother who was not installed as a Tengku Ampuan. She is styled as Yang Maha Mulia.
- Permaisuri is the title of the queen dowager if she is not of royal blood. She is styled Yang Amat Mulia.
- Raja Muda is the title of the heir apparent. He is then styled Duli Yang Teramat Mulia.
- Raja Puan Muda is the title of the consort of the heir apparent if she is of royal blood. She is styled Duli Yang Teramat Mulia.
- Che' Puan Muda is the title of the consort of the heir apparent if she is not of royal blood. She is styled Yang Teramat Mulia
- The other children of the Sultan is titled and styled Yang Amat Mulia Tengku.
Perlis
- Raja and Yang di-Pertuan is the title of the ruler of Perlis. He is styled as Duli Yang Maha Mulia.
- Raja Perempuan is the title of the queen consort of Perlis. She is styled Duli Yang Maha Mulia.
- Raja Perempuan Besar is the title of the queen dowager. She is styled Yang Maha Mulia.
- Raja Muda is the title of the heir apparent. He is styled Duli Yang Teramat Mulia
- Raja Puan Muda is the title of the consort of the heir apparent. She is styled Duli Yang Teramat Mulia
- The other children of the Raja and Raja Muda are styled as Yang Amat Mulia Syed/Sharifah, with the suffix house name of Jamalullail.
Terengganu
- Sultan and Yang di-Pertuan is the title of the ruler of the state. He is styled Kebawah Duli Yang Maha Mulia.
- Tengku Ampuan Besar is the title of the queen consort of the state for queens of royal blood. She is styled as Kebawah Duli Yang Maha Mulia.
- Permaisuri is the title of the queen consort initially used by Sultanah Nur Zahirah until it was changed by Sultan Mizan. A Permaisuri is styled Kebawah Duli Yang Maha Mulia.
- Sultanah is the title that is awarded to the consort of the Sultan. She is styled Kebawah Duli Yang Maha Mulia.
- Tengku Ampuan is the title of the queen dowager. She is styled as Yang Maha Mulia.
- Tengku Ampuan Tua is the title of the senior queen dowager. She is styled as Yang Maha Mulia.
- Tengku Besar is the title of the Sultan's mother if she has not been crowned. She is styled as Yang Teramat Mulia.
- Yang di-Pertuan Muda is the title of the heir apparent. He is styled Duli Yang Teramat Mulia.
- Tengku Puan Muda is the title of the consort of the heir apparent. She is styled Duli Yang Teramat Mulia.
- The other children of the Sultan is styled and titled Yang Amat Mulia Tengku.
Kedah
- Sultan and Yang di-Pertuan is the title of the ruler of the state. He is styled Kebawah Duli Yang Maha Mulia.
- Sultanah is the title of the ruler's consort, of royal blood or not. She is styled Kebawah Duli Yang Maha Mulia.
- Tunku Ampuan was the title of queen dowager of the ruler of royal blood. She was styled Yang Maha Mulia.
- Che' Puan Besar is the title of the queen dowager. She is styled Yang Maha Mulia.
- Raja Muda is the title of the heir apparent. He is styled Duli Yang Teramat Mulia.
- Raja Puan Muda is the title of the consort of the heir apparent. She is styled Duli Yang Teramat Mulia.
- The other children of the Sultan and Raja Muda are titled and styled Yang Teramat Mulia Tunku.
Kelantan
- Al-Sultan and Yang di-Pertuan is the title of the ruler of the state. He is styled Kebawah Duli Yang Maha Mulia.
- Raja Perempuan is the title of the consort of the Sultan if she is of royal blood. She is styled Duli Yang Maha Mulia and Raja Perempuan is the title of the queen dowager if she is of royal blood. She is styled Yang Maha Mulia.
- Sultanah is the title of the consort of the Sultan if she is not of royal blood. She is styled Duli Yang Maha Mulia.
- Tengku Mahkota is the title of the heir apparent. He is styled Yang Teramat Mulia.
- Tengku Ampuan Mahkota is the title of the consort of the heir apparent if she is of royal blood. She is styled Yang Teramat Mulia.
- Cik Puan is the title of the consort of the heir apparent if she is not of royal blood. She is styled Yang Berbahagia.
- The other children of the Al-Sultan are titled Yang Amat Mulia Tengku. If they hold certain palace positions, they are titled Yang Berhormat Mulia Tengku.
Pahang
- Sultan and Yang di-Pertuan is the title of the ruler of the state and he is styled Kebawah Duli Yang Maha Mulia.
- Tengku Ampuan is the title of the consort of the Sultan if she is of royal blood. She is styled Kebawah Duli Yang Maha Mulia.
- Sultanah is the title of the consort of the Sultan if she is not of royal blood. She is styled Duli Yang Maha Mulia.
- Tengku Ampuan Besar is the title of the queen dowager if she is of royal blood. She is styled as Yang Maha Mulia.
- Cik Puan Besar is the title of the queen dowager if she is not of royal blood. She is styled Yang Amat Mulia.
- Tengku Mahkota is the title of the heir apparent. He is styled Kebawah Duli Yang Teramat Mulia.
- Tengku Puan is the title of the consort of the heir apparent. She is styled Kebawah Duli Yang Teramat Mulia.
- The children of the Sultan are titled and styled Yang Amat Mulia Tengku. The children of the Tengku Mahkota are titled and styled Yang Mulia.
Johor
- Sultan and Yang di-Pertuan is the title of the ruler. He is styled Duli Yang Maha Mulia.
- Permaisuri is the title of the consort that has been awarded by the Sultan. She is styled Duli Yang Maha Mulia.
- Sultanah is the title of the consort, of royal blood or not. She is styled Duli Yang Maha Mulia.
- Tunku Ampuan is the title of the consort of the Sultan if she is from a junior branch of the Royal Family. She was styled Duli Yang Maha Mulia. This was last used in 1895 for Tunku Ampuan Ungku Maimunah.
- Tunku Puan is the title of the queen dowager of royal blood. She is styled Yang Amat Mulia.
- Enche' Besar is the title awarded to the mother of the Sultan not of royal blood. She is styled Yang Amat Mulia.
- Tunku Mahkota is the title of the heir apparent. He is styled Duli Yang Amat Mulia.
- Che' Puan is the title of the consort of the heir apparent if she is not of royal blood. She is styled as Yang Amat Mulia.
- Raja Muda is the title of the first son of the heir apparent. The situation is similar to France where during the reign of Louis XIV, his son was titled the le Grand Dauphin and his grandson was also titled le Petit Dauphin. He is titled Duli Yang Amat Mulia.
- The other children of the Sultan are titled and styled Yang Amat Mulia Tunku.
Perak
- Sultan, Yang di-Pertuan dan Raja Pemerintah is the title of the ruler. He is styled Duli Yang Maha Mulia Paduka Seri.
- Raja Perempuan is the title of the consort of the ruler if she is of royal blood. She is styled Duli Yang Maha Mulia.
- Raja Permaisuri is the title of the consort of the ruler if she is not of royal blood. She is styled Duli Yang Maha Mulia.
- A dowager Raja Perempuan or Raja Permaisuri is title Permaisuri would be granted the style of Yang Maha Mulia.
- Raja Muda is the title of the heir apparent. He is styled Duli Yang Teramat Mulia.
- Raja Puan Besar is the title of the consort of the heir apparent. She is styled Duli Yang Teramat Mulia.
- Raja di-Hilir is the title of second heir apparent. He is styled Duli Yang Amat Mulia.
- Raja Puan Muda is the title of the consort of the second heir apparent. She is styled Duli Yang Amat Mulia.
- The other children of the Sultan and Raja Bergelar is styled Yang Teramat Mulia Raja.
Federal titles
There is a maximum number of Malaysian subjects who may be award-holders at any one time. These numerical limits apply only to Malaysian subjects. Foreigners may be awarded such titles in a supernumerary and honorary capacity and may use the title locally.
Tun
The Tun title has existed in Malaysian society for hundreds of years. In ancient times, Tun was an honorific title used by noble people of royal lineage, inherited by the male descendants. Over time, the Tun title has become a title conferred by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong to the most-deserving recipient who has highly contributed to the nation.Tun is the most senior federal title awarded to recipients of either the Seri Maharaja Mangku Negara or Seri Setia Mahkota . However, the SMN and SSM are not the highest federal awards, ranking fourth and fifth, respectively. There may not be more than 25 living holders of each of these awards at any one time. The title for the wife of a Tun is called Toh Puan. The recipients and their wives are then bestowed with the style of Yang Amat Berbahagia or.
The SMN is usually awarded to newly appointed Yang di-Pertua Negeri and to all the retired Prime Ministers of Malaysia with the exception of Najib Razak. Most senior state title "Dato Seri Utama" and "Datuk Seri Utama" share equivalent rank with Tun.
Examples:
- Yang Amat Berhormat Tun Dr. Mahathir bin Mohamad
- Yang Amat Berbahagia Tun Dr. Lim Keng Yaik
Tan Sri
Examples:
- Yang Berbahagia Tan Sri Datuk Seri Panglima Abdul Gani Patail
- Yang Berbahagia Tan Sri Dato' Seri Michelle Yeoh
- Yang Amat Berhormat Tan Sri Dato' Haji Muhyiddin Yassin
Datuk
Examples:
- Yang Berbahagia Datuk Lee Chong Wei
- Yang Berbahagia Datuk Punch Gunalan
State titles
Pehin
This title is mainly used in Brunei and Sarawak. An example of the title in Brunei would be Pehin Orang Kaya Laila Setia Bakti Di-Raja Dato Laila Utama Haji Awang Isa, the former Minister of Home Affairs and the current Special Adviser to the Sultan of Brunei. The titles refers to the traditional ministers posts in Brunei.JP
ranks below all Dato or Datuk. In Malaysia, Justices of Peace have largely been replaced in magistrates' courts by legally-qualified stipendiary magistrates. However, state governments continue to appoint Justices of Peace as honours. In 2004, some associations of JPs pressed the federal government to allow JPs to sit as second-class magistrates to reduce the backlog of cases in the courts.Special cases
If a person has been awarded several honours from different states, the title used varies. For example, sometime Prime Minister, Mahathir Mohamad is usually referred to as YAB Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad anywhere in Malaysia. However, different terms of address may be used in the states that he visits.In Sarawak, he will be referred to as YAB Tun Pehin Sri Mahathir Mohamad as he received the Knight Grand Commander of the Order of the Star of Sarawak from the Yang di-Pertua Negeri of Sarawak.
While in Sabah, he is referred to as Tun Datuk Seri Panglima Dr. Mahathir Mohamad, as he received the Grand Commander of the Order of Kinabalu from the Yang di-Pertua Negeri of Sabah.
Honorary styles
The following are used as styles, both before a person's title and by themselves as forms of address:- Tuan Yang Terutama – the style of a state governor, equivalent to "Your/His Excellency" and also as a title for serving Ambassadors to Malaysia, e.g. T.Y.T. Tuan Christopher J. LaFleur. Previously, the archaic equivalent to the style His Excellency was Paduka Yang Mulia. This was used by Singapore, Indonesia and in Malaysia for other Republic's leaders while the style for Governors/Yang di-Pertuas were Yang Terutama.
- Yang Amat Berhormat – the style of the prime minister, the deputy prime minister, the chief ministers and the Menteri Besars of the states and Tuns who are members of parliament.
- Yang Berhormat – the style of members of parliament and state legislative assemblymen."Yang Berhormat" is also used for recipients of the First Class Order of the Crown of Johor regardless of whether a member of parliament or not.
- Yang Berhormat Mulia - the style for a prince who is a member of parliament.
- Yang Amat Arif – the style of the Chief Justice of Malaysia, the President of the Court of Appeal of Malaysia, the Chief Judge of the High Court of Malaya and the Chief Judge of the High Court of Sabah and Sarawak.
- Yang Arif – the style of a judge of the Federal Court or Court of Appeal, as well a judicial commissioner or judge of the High Court of Malaya or the High Court of Sabah and Sarawak. It does not apply to session court judges or magistrates.
- Yang Amat Berbahagia – the style of persons with the titles Tun or Toh Puan, and the spouses of state governors, the spouse of the prime minister, the spouse of the deputy prime minister, as well as the spouses of state chief ministers.
- Yang Berbahagia – the styles of persons with a chivalrous title.
Other Malay titles by inheritance
- Permata or Paramata, jewel or princess
- Raja Muda, or Radiamoda, crown prince or heir apparent.
- Simban, literally means "worshipped"
- Pengiran, equivalent to Tengku or prince
- Raja, or Radia, Rajah, ruler determined by hereditary lineage.
- Ungku, equivalent to Tengku or prince. A hereditary title from one of the lineages of the Royal Family of Johor.
- Raden, a royal family name used in the several Malay Sultanates in Kalimantan, used extensively by the Pontianak Malays.
- Abang is a title that is particularly found in Sarawak. Its use is rooted in the appointments of Datuk Patinggi, Datuk Temenggung, Datuk Bandar and Datuk Imam, centuries before the British colonisation. The children of these state dignitaries carry the title Abang and Dayang. When an Abang marries a Dayang or a commoner, the issue will get to keep the title. The issue of a Dayang does not carry a title if he or she has a non-Abang father. However, if a Dayang marries a male aristocrat bearing a different title than hers, her issue will be named according to the husband's given title.
- Awang is the term used for addressing men in Brunei equivalent to Mr. or as a given hereditary name amongst Sarawakian Malay. Anyone who inherited the name of Awang and Awangku through patrilineal family lineage may later claim the title Pengiran since they are also related to the Brunei Sultanate. This, however, requires the approval of elders who must consider if he is mature enough to carry the title – or once he has married. The change is only eligible for those who inherit the name Awang from their family line. As for the rule of inheritance of the name, it is the same as Abang.
- Dayang is the term used for addressing women in Brunei and it is equivalent to Ms. Dayang is also the female issue of an Abang and an Awang.
- Syed, Sayyid or Sayed, is a title inherited by male descendants, through the male line, from the Prophet Muhammad via his grandsons Hassan and Hussein. Female descendants are known as Syarifah, Sharifah, or Sayyidah.
- * Meor is a title inherited by the male issue of a Syarifah and non-Syed father. For females, the first letter of the name comes with 'Ma' as in "Ma Mastura". This is typically used in Perak and few other states such as Terengganu and Kelantan.
- Megat, or Pamegat or Gat, is a title inherited by male descendants of Pagaruyung Prince Megat Terawis, who was the first bendahara of Perak. Megats along with Puteris and Tuns are typically found in Perak in Malaysia, and among Tagalogs and Kapampangan people in the Philippines. "Megat" is also styled by a half-blood royal male descendant of a female royal of Pahang. In the Philippines, this survives in common high-born surnames Gatdula and Gatsalian along with the Order of the Philppines Gat.
- * Puteri is a title inherited by the female descendant of a Megat. In the Philippines, Puteri, commonly spelled as Putri, Potri, Potli or Potre, is used to denote any royal princess of hereditary issue.
- * Tun is a title inherited by the issue of a Puteri, the female descendant of a Megat and a commoner father, in turn inheritable through the male line. In Pahang, it is the title of a male or female descendant of a Sultan through the female line. In the upper part of Terengganu, Tun is a title inherited by descendants of the now-abolished Bendahara of Terengganu,
- Wan is a title inherited through the male line, given to a son or a daughter of a royal-family mother who married a commoner. This is typically found in Patani, Pahang, Kelantan, Kedah, Terengganu and Natuna-Anambas. In Kedah, Wan is the title used by descendants of certain former chief ministers of the state, e.g. the descendants of Wan Mohd Saman. Wan can also be used as the title for a girl's name, though this is uncommon, e.g. Wan Azizah Wan Ismail. Wan can also be found in Sarawak, and is somehow related to the state's Syed lineage. A female issue of Wan carries the title Sharifah. A Wan may later claim the title Tuanku. This, however, can only be done after he gains the approval of the elders and is considered mature enough to carry the title. The change is only eligible for those who inherit the name Wan from their family line. The issue of a Sharifah does not carry a title if he/she has a non-Wan father.
- Nik is a title inherited by the issue of a male Nik. It is typically found in Patani, Kelantan and Terengganu.
- Che is a title inherited by the issue of a male Che descendants and were also used by some Malay nobles in ancient time. Certain lineage of Raja Jembal descendants also uses the Che title. However the Che title can also be passed down from a descendant of a female Nik and non-Nik male. The Che title is commonly found in Pattani, Kedah, Kelantan and Terengganu.
Other titles
- Haji can be used by people who have completed the Hajj. This title is abbreviated as "Hj." or "Hjh.".
- Tuan literally means "master". Due to its colonial overtones, this term is mostly obsolete, although the title can still be added to Syed and Haji. It is used for non-titled members of Parliament and State Assemblymen. In some states like Kelantan, it could also denote one of the royal family. As an equivalent of Sir, it is used in formal correspondence. When addressing an audience, the plural form "tuan-tuan" is used, usually combined as "tuan-tuan dan puan-puan".
- Encik is equivalent to Mr. and can be used by all men. Warrant Officers in the Singapore Armed Forces are also referred to as Encik informally.
- Puan can be used by all married women. It is equivalent to Madam, not Mrs., as most married women in Malay-speaking countries do not use the names or surnames of their husbands. For married women who use their husbands' names, they can be addressed as "Puan ". It is also used in formal correspondence. When addressing an audience, the plural form "puan-puan" is used, usually combined with "tuan-tuan" as "tuan-tuan dan puan-puan".
- Cik is equivalent to Miss and can be used by all unmarried women.
Related issues
Mahathir Mohamad mentioned that one of the problems with titles in Malaysia is the numbers of them given out. He stated in an interview "Personally, I feel if you want to give value to anything, it must be limited...if you produce a million Ferrari cars, nobody will care about buying a Ferrari."
The Sultan Nazrin Shah of Perak, stated "That is my view. You degrade the award and the Ruler has the right to revoke it. In my opinion, it should be taken away." He also stated that "Sometimes, I think we give away too many datukships...it dilutes and devalues the award."
In the first government following the independence of Malaya in 1957, 5 of 15 cabinet Ministers were Datuks. The Minister of Finance of Malaysia at the time, Tan Siew Sin, held the title Justice of Peace. Later, he was granted a Federal award which carried the title Tun. The father of Malayan independence, Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-Haj, received no awards and carried the title "Tunku", which he inherited as the prince of the state of Kedah. He was honorarily referred to as "Yang Teramat Mulia". The Senate held only 14 Datuks and House of Representatives held only 7.
The Malacca government was criticised for awarding the Datuk title to a non-Malaysian Indian actor, Shah Rukh Khan, for making movies and promoting the Malacca state internationally.
Negeri Sembilan
- In 2018, the Yang di-Pertuan Besar of Negeri Sembilan revoked the state honours bestowed upon Mohammad Najib Abdul Razak and his wife, Rosmah Mansor.
Pahang
- The Sultan of Pahang revoked the titles of two Dato's in 2004.
Selangor
- The Dato's of Selangor attempted to set up an association of Selangor Dato's. It received approval from the registrar of societies but was shelved when the Sultan forbade any Dato' from joining or otherwise risk losing their title.
- Four Datuks were removed in 2003 by the Sultan of Selangor.
- Dato' Seri Anwar Ibrahim had his title revoked by the Sultan of Selangor on 3 November 2014.
- In 2019, the Sultan of Selangor suspended the state honours bestowed upon Mohammad Najib Abdul Razak and his wife, Rosmah Mansor, pending the outcome of their court trials.