Darkkey Claims He Is Now A Dato — But Things Aren't Adding Up
Photos shared by the Malaysia-based singer and music composer have raised questions about the authenticity of the claim.
By Sadho Ram — 09 May 2023, 10:42 AM — Updated over 1 year ago
On Friday, 5 May, Tamil singer cum music composer Darkkey Nagaraja took to social media, where he claimed that he is now a Dato
Darkkey posted three photos on both his Facebook and Instagram accounts.
Dressed in a dark suit over a light blue shirt and sporting a sash — a colourful band of material worn during the conferment of royal awards — Darkkey is also seen wearing a songkok (headgear).
He, however, did not specify the award he claims to have received.
"[I] would like to thank all of you who [believed] in me and joined me in this unforgettable journey," read the post on Darkkey's Facebook and Instagram accounts, where it has gone viral with almost 30,000 likes.
Describing the award as "a great honour", he signed off with "Dato Darkkey Nagaraja".
Fans of the musician left congratulatory messages on his social media
Under Darkkey's post on Instagram, his fans flooded the comment section.
Many called the award a long time coming and others praised his hard work.
However, other eagle-eyed netizens questioned the authenticity of Darkkey's claim based on the photos shared by the Tamil artist
In his post on Facebook, a user noted that a closer inspection of the photos shows several inconsistencies, such as the Royal throne room, as shown in the photos uploaded by Darkkey, appears to be an imitation.
He also noted that there appears to be a sliding door right behind the thrones, which is odd.
Others pointed out that the lack of attention to detail to loose seams for the yellow-coloured carpet on the steps behind Darkkey doesn't boost confidence. There's also a "no entry" sticker placed on the step.
Many asked him to share a photo with the ruler who gave him the award.
Darkkey's act of signing off the post by adding 'Dato' before his name would imply that he was bestowed the title recently.
However, SAYS found no mention of his name on the Ceremonial and International Conference Secretariat Division's official website.
The website, which is maintained by the Prime Minister's Department, offers an online service for the public to check and verify recipients of awards conferred by the Agong, sultans, or governors in Malaysia.
Additionally, New Straits Times' check with Istana Negara showed that no award ceremony was held in the palace on 5 May, the day on which Darkkey uploaded the photos on his social media accounts.
More importantly, the Yang di-Pertuan Agong and the Raja Permaisuri Agong were departing for the UK on that day to attend the Coronation Ceremony of King Charles III that took place on 6 May.
