Title-buying

Just read in the Star Online, about how some people were buying fake degrees, Masters and PhDs online. Seems like everyone wants to be called a doctor these days.
It sickens me. I spent 8 years of my life so far, training, with another 4 years coming up (subspecialty), and to think you can get a PhD for as little as $400?
I guess people in Malaysia like to show off. I've met so many PhD holders here, and do not recall one, who introduced himself or herself as Dr so-and-so publicly. It's protocol, for many places, to use this term only within academic institutions if you carry a PhD.
However, it seems like every Tom, Dick and Harry in Malaysia who has a PhD in business and other non-science field is calling themselves doctors.
I remember A's father, who calls himself Dr. M even though he has nothing to do with the medical field.
Strange.