MELAKA: Chinese actress Fan Bingbing, credited with raising the historic city’s profile among tourists from her home country, will receive a Datukship at this Sunday's (Aug 24) investiture ceremony in conjunction with the birthday of Yang di-Pertua Negeri Tun Dr Mohd Ali Rustam.
Chief Minister Datuk Seri Ab Rauf Yusoh confirmed this on Thursday (Aug 21) during the groundbreaking ceremony for SM Pay Fong’s new hostel building here.
He said the award was in appreciation of Fan's influence in drawing visitors to Melaka and creating unprecedented visibility for the state on the global tourism stage.
“She has helped catapult the historic city into the global tourism spotlight, and we deeply appreciate her efforts,” he said.
State officials at the event told The Star that Fan would be conferred the “Datuk Kehormat” (Honorary Datuk), which also carries the title "Datuk".
She was appointed as Melaka’s Tourism Friendship Ambassador in conjunction with Visit Melaka Year 2024.
Since then, her involvement has driven considerable online engagement, with the state recording more than 1.5 billion impressions on China’s popular WeChat platform.
The figure is viewed as one of Malaysia’s most significant digital tourism milestones.
On the ground, Chinese tourist arrivals to Melaka rose sharply from 204,818 in 2023 to 664,687 last year.
Regarding Thursday's ceremony, Ab Rauf said the SM Pay Fong hostel project was an effort by the community to ensure educational excellence.
He said the RM40mil development on a 2.43ha site is expected to be completed by February.
Ab Rauf said the hostel will comprise four three-storey blocks with 170 rooms, providing accommodation for more than 700 students.
“What we are witnessing today is not merely an infrastructure project, but a long-term investment in the future of Melaka’s children, ensuring they have access to quality and inclusive education,” he added.
