KUALA LUMPUR: Actor Datuk Farid Kamil has chosen to ignore naysayers who have questioned the recent awarding of the Datuk title to him and fellow action hero Datuk Aaron Aziz of Singapore.
The 36-year-old star of Lagenda Budak Setan told such individuals to "zip up" if they had nothing good to say about the Darjah Indera Mahkota Pahang (DIMP) award he received from the Regent of Pahang, Tengku Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah yesterday.
"These Netizen don't understand the traditions of the Pahang Sultanate. Their criticisms are petty and unfounded, it's better they stop embarrassing themselves in public!" said Farid in an interview with Harian Metro yesterday.
Farid explained that the awarding of Datukships was the prerogative of the Sultan of Pahang, Sultan Ahmad Shah, and he was proud to be awarded a title of distinction for his hard work in the entertainment industry.
"The title comes with responsibilities, we have to do lots of social work, such as helping evacuate flood victims during the monsoon season," he said.
Aaron agreed with Farid that Datukships would come with heavy responsibilities. He said: "A Datukship means a lot of social work, not only in Pahang but around Malaysia."
Farid and Aaron were among 167 individuals who were honoured by Tengku Abdullah at Istana Abu Bakar, Pekan, Pahang on Saturday in conjunction with Sultan Ahmad Shah's 88th birthday.
Both actors expressed support for Tengku Abdullah's speech that Pahang Datuks play an active role in humanitarian work.