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By TAY TIAN YAN/Translated by DOMINIC LOH/Sin Chew Daily

Is it influenza A or is it swine flu? This is a question of taste.

Just like the modern parents who will never call their kids "Doggie," "Piggy" and the like. When people get educated and learn some basic etiquette, they will become more cultured and understand what "taste" is.

Similarly, a society with the right "taste" will not allow the use of lowly, despicable and provocative wordings in the mass media.

Besides, "swine flu" is an utter misnomer and is unfounded scientifically.

Any among the hundred-odd flu cases in this country has been infected by pigs?

Whenever I turn on the TV, words such as "babi," "kinzir" and "swine" are repeatedly blasted into my hears, and shock me into shutting off the TV immediately.

As a matter of fact, I do symphathise with these broadcasters. Being Muslims, they are naturally sensitive to pigs. However, instructions from their superiors have forced them to repeat these few words on a daily or even hourly basis.

As non-Muslims, even we find it extremely discordant to the ears hearing it, and I wonder whether our Muslim audience would feel comfortable being bombasted with the word "babi."

This has inevitably raised a question what information minister Datuk Seri Rais Yatim has in his mind that he must enforce that the media switch to the term "selsema babi" or "swine flu"!

Is the mission of the information ministry to arouse disgust among the public, or to create linguistic pollution, lower the country's broadcasting standards or to smear the Malaysian society?

Of course, in this multicultural society of Malaysia, sending the pigs into living halls of Malaysians of various ethnic groups could only accentuate the repulsion between the races.

I was thinking the duty of the information ministry is to promote inter-racial unity.

Rais has his explanation. He said A(H1N1) was too tough on the mouth, and that "Influenza A" sounded awkward.

If news broadcasters could not get the pronunciation right, I think they should go through renewed training.

As if that is not enough, no countries in the world could offer so ridiculous reasons to change A(H1N1) into swine flu.

Comments (8)

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written by pinsysu, July 01, 2009 17:55:57

H1N1 name too scientific ... call it swine flu bcos if u r not swine u won't get it! He juz doesn't get it! do u get it?

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written by Equal, July 01, 2009 17:59:37

We just have too many wrong and unqualified people at the wrong place.
No substances, big mouth, talk rubbish. Do these people know that they are
bringing shame to their kind. This is what 1malaysia is all about.

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written by Equal, July 01, 2009 18:03:08

Rais is there not because of his abilities but because of UMNO, period.

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written by talk2stop, July 01, 2009 19:02:49

Malaysia just can make up her mind. There are so many issues just because of a simple name on a flu. How is Malaysia going to overcome bigger thing?
The reason WHO want us to use H1N1 so that the rest of the world know which particular swine flu we are dealing with.
I think by the time Malaysia resolve the name, the rest of the world would have moved on.

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written by budakindia, July 01, 2009 19:03:04

My bet is even if the flu is caused by other animals too, they will still call it swine flu. Reasoning? Has logics and valid reasoning been used in our government decisions for the last 50 years? You tell me! Rais is just the tip of the iceberg of unsound and mentally retarded administration. Wait until Nazri opens his mouth! This is the result of 50 years of Ketuanan Melayu! Mental retardness to the core!

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written by Kacang Tanah, July 01, 2009 19:34:03

Rais Yatim insist on calling H1N1 as swine flu because he thought that only those who eat Babi will get infected. Later he will use this as an excuse to urge the government to close down all the pig farms.

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written by Fart Fart Wah, July 02, 2009 01:43:35

Australian scientist says swine flu created in lab accident
SYDNEY (May 14, 2009): A Canberra researcher reckons the swine flu virus could have been created inadvertently by scientists working with eggs to grow new viruses and test new vaccines.

Retired Australian National University virologist Adrian Gibbs was quoted on Thursday by the website Science Insider as suggesting that a laboratory accident may have created the virus now sweeping the world.

Influenza specialists at the World Health Organisation are examining the theory that swine flu - a mix of genetic material from pigs, birds and human beings - is an escapee from a research laboratory.

"I bumped into an advertisement for an influenza vaccine for pigs that contained three different viruses," Gibbs told Science Insider.

"Not killing off the virus could explain the whole thing very neatly, but it's only one of several possibilities."

Gibbs, who contributed to the research that produced the drug Tamiflu used to treat influenza cases, said he was ready to be proved wrong.

"Scientists are trained to be iconoclasts, not to believe what they're told," he said. "And they don't believe until they've really had a good go at it." - dpa

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written by James Loh, July 02, 2009 08:12:52

Do we need to have brain to understand the purpose of using the term "selsema babi"? I can only assume the subtle racism is used to cause strain between races.

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