KUALA LUMPUR, June 25 – Shortly after Health Minister Liow Tiong Lai urged the media to use the term Influenza A(H1N1) as recommended by the the World Health Organisation, Information Communication and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim said all media should return to using “swine flu” instead.
Rais said this was to ensure that the people realised the danger of the disease and to get the message across to them more accurately.
It is also easier for (radio and television) announcers to state “selsema babi” (swine flu) than H1N1 in Bahasa Melayu, he told reporters after an official visit to Pos Malaysia, here.
Rais also said that the ministry would monitor programmes broadcasting health-related advertisements to ensure that there was no confusion as to the accuracy of the message as well as the people’s understanding of swine flu/A(H1N1).
“We should not combine health-related matters with confusing advertisements," he said. – Bernama

written by disgustedrakyat, June 25, 2009
written by Klaw, June 25, 2009
written by stupid and more stupid, June 25, 2009
written by Observer, June 25, 2009
written by Gentlemen, June 25, 2009
written by Jokerer, June 25, 2009
written by Kasim Ahmad, June 25, 2009
written by rocky, June 25, 2009
another attempt to try to make racist issues by BN fellows
written by BN and Umno forever!, June 25, 2009
selsema babi????
the whole world is using H1N1..and he want the media to use selsema babi?
Ok, is this the way we going? is rais yatim the supporter of teaching maths and science in bahasa melayu?
haha..
written by chialat, June 26, 2009
written by Hang Tuah 1, June 26, 2009
Put them in a different world.
If you watch CNN, it is H1N1, or Influenza A.
BBC says the same thing.
CCTV and Aljazeera and all others - same term.
But Malaysia wants to be different - selsema babi.
Two things:
When Malays talk to others in the world,
the world does not know the Malays are talking about.
When Malays are infected with this flu,
they have pigs in their system...
and pigs are unclean animals.
What happened when Malays ingested pigs in their system????
Why not call it Rais flu - named after him for coming up with new name...
written by sad malaysian, June 26, 2009
written by change28, June 26, 2009
This Govt has a very high opinion of its own people.
written by iambabi, June 26, 2009
written by revolutionarmy, June 26, 2009
written by rajapisang, June 26, 2009
This virus was originally referred to as “swine flu” because laboratory testing showed that many of the genes in this new virus were very similar to influenza viruses that normally occur in pigs in North America. But further study has shown that this new virus is very different from what normally circulates in North American pigs. It has two genes from flu viruses that normally circulate in pigs in Europe and Asia and avian genes and human genes. Scientists call this a "quadruple reassortant" virus.
written by Yoke Tee, June 26, 2009
why can't he see eye to eye with the world to combat the situation? Why is Rais continue to use the words of sensitive to the different races? so when we import the medcine from oversea, the labels will be H1N1, now use selsama babi? Its hopeless to come up of such stupid name and insisting on the whole country has to follow his stupid mistake?
so when we watch CNN, CNBC and international news on astro, and the whole country people has to be confused by our local media? Please wake up and agree with the WHO.
why do the ministry want to continue to isolate our next generation to the world?
written by anak melaka sejati, June 26, 2009
written by ??????, June 26, 2009
In Islam, the muslim is not encourage to use "words of bad meaning or unclean". For example, islam never force people who convert to islam to change their names unless when the "converted's" original name which sound like " bab bee", "she tan"..etc he/she is encourage to embrace islamic name.
Till today, even the WHO doesnt know the originality of the A(H1N1), whether it is original from a bird or a swine or it could be a man who was infected by bird flu transmitted the virus to a swine.... many posibilities.....
Now Mr Rice or Encik Nasi lemak, how could you as a culture minster insist on telling the media.... B ABI is more appropriate to Malaysian because the word B ABI is easily to understand... i heard this is what he said in the media. Encik Nasi lemak, you doing a bad culture toward Malaysia !!!!!!
written by Swine Minister of Information, June 26, 2009
UMNO Minister is only good at finding "Bone in Chicken Egg", nothing else more constuctive to do instead twisting on terminology.
Whole world is using H1N1 , do this UMNO Muslim Minister aware "Swine" is sensitive word to Muslim.
How he confer a doctorate is a wonder ?
Only know how to argue on petty issue and arrogant as he put forward his stupid remark on RTM1.
written by Newchief, June 26, 2009
for one, i think rais' term 'selsema babi' is an INSULT to the babi and the people who enjoy consuming it!!! H1N1 should be the preferred name because people knowing this will know the seriousness effect of it !!
rais like other bn donkeys, always tries to twists facts to the rakyat and that's the very real reason why malaysia is lagging though its wealthed with abundance resources. look at august 31st and september 16th and you will know what i mean.
for rais, please don't campur tangan to places where you are not expert in as you will look more idiot than donkeys (if that's what you want us to think of you) !!!!
written by unbelievable, June 26, 2009
He claimed that the media should name is as 'swine flu' to ENSURE taht the people realised the danger of the disease and to get the message across to them MORE ACCURATELY.
Do you mean that by calling it 'swine flu', only then the people will realise that swines are dangerous???? But it has reached level 6 where the virus spread from human to human. We don't keep away from swines alone.
Malaysia seems to be always ahead of others, even overtakes the World Health Organisation, all because Malaysia is very very boleh in all things.
written by realitycheck, June 26, 2009
written by NKH, June 26, 2009
other all using h1n1, only we use swine flu. weird !!! And stupid.
just like our leader mentality.
even naming for such a serious pandemic carry different view from leader from same barisan, u can imagine the trouble when come to other issue.
different people say different thing, do differently. no unity.
written by toh leong, June 26, 2009
written by Ed, June 26, 2009
Rais, just stick to your role, continue to do propaganda for umno-bn. We do not need anymore unconstructive and useless actions from you.
written by Fool, June 26, 2009
written by Countryman, June 26, 2009
How he got his PhD?
written by Viratta, June 26, 2009
1) This Guy is a moron.
2) He is a racialism.
3) He is smarter than all the sciencetist of the world.
4) He is Just a short sighted miniter who knows only swine.
5).....................................................................what else han..??????
written by TaBolehTahanLagi, June 26, 2009
written by bobbywee, June 26, 2009
written by ktteokt, June 26, 2009
written by Jim, June 26, 2009
these guys should hire better spin doctors, if indeed the goal is to do any spinning that is.
written by X-b.END, June 26, 2009
Oh my GOD! We have unbelieveable stuPID minister arguing with the world health organisation internationally recognised term.
So...put it this way, since we term it like any 3rd world country, swine flu...which means M'sian who caught the flu are SWINE, not human.
Wat idiot!!Who put him there.
BTW, does he know..flu not originate from swine?
written by LCE, June 26, 2009
written by kaizer, June 26, 2009
written by Paul Warren, June 26, 2009
written by toto12, June 26, 2009
The point is that, another Umno dolt is trying to exploit a health concern for political gain and reinforcing the ``us and them'' mentality among Malaysians: you see, it's those people who eat unclean animals, putting everyone at risk!!
Since the flu is a health issue,not an information/communication problem, surely the Health Minister takes precedence in name-calling, and it should follow the standard tag. Rais is trying to show which party calls the shots in BN and that even in these matters, MCA is no more than just a string puppet.
written by Ismail, June 26, 2009
Rais's English comprehension is extremely poor ...he can't even understand H one N one.
Tun M did said that there is half past six cabinet ministers, now we all know who that person is!
Maybe Rais should interpret the word "Multimedia" or "Injunksi" in Bahasa Malaysia before he tries to overwriite the WHO term H1N1.
Ridiculously Absurd Idiotic Swine
written by ikeda, June 26, 2009
written by CT, June 26, 2009
written by James Loh, June 26, 2009
Now we have an official name for H1N1, it is important to educate the public to use the right term rather than to use the term most convenient.
UMNO... Same shit, different day.
written by zackeye, June 26, 2009
We call TB as batuk kering. Do we want to print batuk kering in the papers or say it over the electronic media. Similarly we call malaria as demam kura then should we translate it as tortoise fever.
Let the health personnel tackle the health issues. Rais just look after RTM so that the news and programmes are truthful and beneficial to the nation and the rakyat money is well spent.
written by kopite, June 26, 2009
written by jamesloh18, June 26, 2009
written by Jack, June 26, 2009
written by Raymond, June 26, 2009
written by monk, June 26, 2009
written by Jason SIm , June 26, 2009
written by wan zaharizan, June 26, 2009
written by PH Chin, June 26, 2009
written by gasper rune, June 26, 2009
written by foodforthought, June 26, 2009
written by monk, June 26, 2009
Maybe Rais got his tongue twisted with "H1N1"
What's so difficult to remember? After all, it's international standard by WHO.
Is the "brand" more important than the substance (of the epidemic)? Or is it alright like the Chinese saying, "Displaying goat's head but selling dog's meat." Tyhe motto of the BN governance.
written by nasihatorangtua, June 26, 2009
written by Jason, June 26, 2009
written by yugong, June 26, 2009
written by JaguhKampung, June 26, 2009
Don't be wicked hearted. We know you're trying to wipe out the pig farming industry in this country. By associating the flu with pigs, you have stronger justification to ban the industry from Malaysia. Some fanatics will scream behind you to ban the industry altogether totally.
Please know that the industry, although disliked by Muslims, supports many lives and have a wide chain on downstream economy. And, most of these pig slaugtherers have no education. If they have no more pigs to slaughter, they will come to look for you.
written by Jurimat., June 26, 2009
written by Always Malaysian, June 26, 2009
Always Malaysian
written by pigheaded, June 26, 2009
written by Swine Flu, June 26, 2009
written by countryman, June 26, 2009
How on earth we have such an idiotic minister in the cabinet? And he is the minister of information! My god! How can we expect him to educate the public and pass on the correct information?
written by Nic, June 26, 2009
written by bigcityb, June 27, 2009
Communication - misleading
Culture - none
What's Rais KPI?
written by Jacko, June 27, 2009




