PETALING JAYA: Chinese actress Fan Bingbing is reportedly set to receive a Datukship, becoming the third international celebrity to be conferred the title.
Other celebrities who have received the honour include Shah Rukh Khan and Jackie Chan.
The X-Men: Days of Future Past star will be awarded the Datukship at an investiture ceremony during the birthday celebrations of the Yang di-Pertua Negeri of Melaka, Tun Dr Mohd Ali Rustam, according to the New Straits Times.
The 43-year-old actress’s contributions to promoting Melaka as a tourism destination have led to the conferral of the title, said the state’s Chief Minister, Datuk Seri Ab Rauf Yusoh.
In May 2024, Fan was appointed as Melaka’s tourism ambassador. Her involvement reportedly generated up to 1.2 billion online searches, with searches specifically related to Melaka reaching over 445 million.
The international star recently attended a high-tea event at the Ritz-Carlton in Kuala Lumpur and was scheduled to appear at a product launch at The Exchange TRX this afternoon.
Meanwhile, on the silver screen, the actress is set to star in Mother Bhumi, the latest release by award-winning Malaysian filmmaker Chong Keat Aun. In the film, she plays a widowed farmer living on the Malaysia–Thailand border.