The Malaysian Insider

It is unbelievable how a minister can speak like a moron, Rais must have been infected with "selsema babi". Kampung idiot!!!

Information, Communication, and Culture Ministry should be renamed Idiot Ministry (Kementerian Bodoh) because it will be easier for announcers to state in Bahasa Melayu.

Why dont these two ministers fight it out to determine which is the correct term to use? stupid and brainless people.

It shows how disunited the government leaders are. I dont understand why Rais Yatim insists on using the word Selsema Babi, when the word babi is sensitive to the muslims.

Let's call it Rais Yatim Flu!

what can i say..... Malaysia Boleh !

That shows another pighead minister from BN, Rais Babi!! Minister of Katak dalam Perigi!!!

This is the type of Minister you will find in the BN line up. Even as a Malay we don't agree using"Babi" and use to say it as "khinzir" And now this donkey is asking to revert back what was promoted by Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka. How to change and everywhere Najib is preaching 1Malaysia.

Unbelievable! A minister with a Ph.D. (from University of London) chose to use a LESS ACCURATE term for the flu. Even World Health Organization has advised that H1N1 is a more accurate term than the swine flu. What message are you trying to send out to the public???

He's still having the babi mentality?

No Lah. Rais Yatim is getting senile. Got to forgive him.

wonder what rais's KPI is all about? and what a cabinet, they can't even agree on simple as this. maybe rais should ask WHO to take a hike cos hell he knows best.

another attempt to try to make racist issues by BN fellows

haha...isnt this confusing..

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..

it's amused that we have this kind of so called information minister. WHO and every countries in the world are using H1N1 but he just want to be "jaguh kampung" to use BABI. He is babi himself!

Rais wants the Malays to be ignorant.
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...

This fella has an otak problem.

Rais is making the Rakyat more confusing. sigh... so sad with Malaysia politicians. i can imagine others countries are laughing at us now.

Amazing! Now one of our Minister do not even trust our RTM radio and tv announcers to even pronounce words properly.

This Govt has a very high opinion of its own people.

good good, all they have to do is to display even more stupid behaviour and giving idiotic statements. Then more people will be more decided who to vote for in the next GE. The Opposition don't even have to launch any psych warfare...haha..

Such a joke. Thanks, Rais for adding to the list of "why you should vote PR in the next election". First it was the power grab & mess in Perak, the confusing 1Malaysia concept, attempt to correct the PKFZ scandal but failing miserably (looks like just a show), then unity government for malay unity (and chinese unity and indian unity?), then Ng Yen Yen's "RM1million can get you nothing", then emergency of passing DNA bill (for what reason?), not forgetting the promise to bring down PTPTN kos pentadbiran from 3% to 1% BUT TILL NOW STILL BELUM BERUBAH!!!! - talk about broken promises ... the list goes on... People make mistakes, but one too many just doesn't sound right, and worse still if you don't want to correct your mistakes! Sabah, Sarawak, Pahang, Melaka, Perlis, (Perak), ...Johor..., Terengganu, N9... join us to bring CHANGE!

Why is novel H1N1 virus sometimes called “swine flu”?

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.

why do we have to be different from the WHO and the world? why do we have to be isolated with others?
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?

Shall we rename it the Misinformation, Miscommunication and Uncultured Ministry?

It's WHO who commented, do not use the term "swine flu" ... it may confuse the people... this was supported by many medical experts.

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 !!!!!!

Have not heard of any pig or animal getting this new flu,

.

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.

rais is totally IDIOT to think malaysians are too stupid to know what H1N1 is. that's why he prefer to called it 'swine-flu' . even the WHO calls it H1N1 . does he knows there are many types of flu AT ALL with different names ??

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) !!!!

While the whole world is fighting to contain the H1N1 virus, Malaysia Information communication and culture minister is arguing over the right term to name the virus.

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.

pemakan babi dah marah daaaa... bagus untuk diketengahkan..

To follow Rais from UMNO or Liow from MCA? Boh Liow

He lost in UMNO poll, so need drastic measures to make up. Every little action counts.

I only shows Your calibre, Sir!

come on la, we got to use the same language as internationally accepted as stated by WHO, so effective measure can be done with cooperation with other countries.
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.

One wonders what is in Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim's mind. Swine flu implies that the disease is confined to people who deal with swine, viz those who eat, sell and rear these animals. This is really a dangerous perception because the disease is spreaded through the air just like flu. It infects everyone, irrespective of whether you have to do with swine or not.

Rais is as racist as anyone else in UMNO.

That is the reason why this moron is not suitable for the useless Info Comm and culture post. Talk without brain. WHO can't find the causes of the outbreak and yet, this goon openly say it is a swine flu.

Rais, just stick to your role, continue to do propaganda for umno-bn. We do not need anymore unconstructive and useless actions from you.

Well, this just shows how smart our Information Minister is.

I think he really too much of local newspaper....those BN's or UMNO's...lets forgive him, he just don't know what is happening outside Malaysia....I think next thing he going to say is, Malays is easier to pronounce than Malaysia....errrr, and more accurate too.

Rais Yatim, you are really an idiot with the lowest mentality. You are a shame to Malaysia and the whole of Najib's cabinet.

How he got his PhD?

Can I Guess,

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..??????

I think he has an ulterior motive to use the word "selsema babi" (Swine flu). Maybe "selsema khinzir" would have sounded better. If a muslim really contracted this flu, it would sounds so offensive to say he/she has that......"selsema babi" . Better to use the correct term Influenza A(H1N1).

What a stupid Rais, when we lost the Island to Singapore he shown his two thumps up and shouted to the world "WIN, WIN". May be he was a loyal don't know anything about Biology, never know what is virus about. Why not Minister of Education relocate him to the Form two biology class. Shame on him and our cabinet too!!!!!

Only a swine would want to call this swine flu. It has in fact nothing to do with the swine, be it actual or metaphorical!

by making the "connection" to pigs, obviously the goal would be to create the impression the "pig" flu was brought on by pigs - upon more impressionable folk (and where do these constituents reside?)- driving a wedge between communities that allow the consumption/breeding of swine versus communities that don't, again highlighting the differences between fellow Malaysians and fueling distrust and suspicion. since when does a minister occupy himself with the welfare of media broadcasters.

these guys should hire better spin doctors, if indeed the goal is to do any spinning that is.

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?

WHO has announced the name of this flu virus as A(H1N1) and has been known throughout the wolrd among laymen, kids and even illiterates. Yet this senior Malaysian Minister still finds this simple term difficult to grasp! Amazing.

Rasi, since your name is so much like Rais all these comments goes to you too.

Ha...and I thought Babi was an uncouth word!!! but not when the innuendos that go along with it gives some a shiok sendiri effect I suppose!!

How can one person who's not heading the ministry be correct, when the ``experts'' are still debating the origins and the future form of the disease?
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.

The whole world kn ow what H1N1 is except one person, Rais...he wants it in bahasa Malaysia.
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

This stupid racist minister think he is smart, if he want to call H1N1 as selsema babi or selema khinzir, he is welcome. He can only get the support of racist Malaysians but not the non-racist Malaysians. I have no problem to call H1N1 any other name as I don't stand for election. If BN think that is a smart move, take the challenge call it selsema babi. We will see how this UMNO babi lose in the coming election.

Ya, the Minister thinks that BM speaking reporters have difficulty saying " Virus - A - H- 1-N- 1" meaning these people don't know the 26 alphabets and the number "satu"? They only know how to say "ba-bi"?? This is the mentality that keeps Malaysia from progressing! Minister of Mis-Communication!

No lah... It's just another attempt to instigate racial and religious hate by linking the flu to the babi.

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.

Small matter like this also must go public. Just discuss during coffee break after cabinet meeting. Or better still just SMS or call the minister concerned. If WHO name the disease as H1N1 and the disease spread internationally just maintain the internationally accepted name so that no confusion.
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.

I'd want to know, how on earth will by calling the flu 'swine flu' ensure the people how dangerous it is? So, Babi is dangerous? My goodness.... internationally, it's known as H1N1, others no problem but our smart ass Minister wants to change it. I would suggest that he call for a EGM at the UN and lobby for the flu to be called as 'The Rais Flu'.... that would sound more terror!

hello.he chicken out to debate with zaid....? this fellow is voted idiot of the year ! 2001 till now..

Why not call it 'dinosaur flu' in honor of this learned minister?

What is our Information Minister trying to do, everyone in the world including WHO says it A(H1N1) flu, our "very clever" Info. Minister wants it to be called swine flu. Have some brains please.

We should forgive these party leaders, the brand is more important than the substance. They are oozing with foolishness, as usual.

hahaha... Malaysia truly Boleh, wanna be different from all the countries. What a stupid minister, and an Information Minister at that. Selsema babi konon...

Bagus warrior you hit it on the nail. Yes Swine flu it is but is it politically correct? Rais says to make a great impact or is it? Why call it avian flu or bird flu why not Chicken flu to make it a great impact! Why stop there , why call foot and mouth disease which has also mutated and call it cow disease or sakit lembu! Hoooray we start culling the pigs and swine and chicken and go Vegetarian!! Go Veggie go! The truth is WHO has decide to call it H1N1 because it is a mutated swine flu. It is a combination of Swine and Avian( or chicken viruslah!) Whether it is because of the lobbyist it doesn't matter, we are part of the international community if not be an island lah! to me Rais is just flexing his puny muscle even UMNO pun tak mahu dia!!!

It seems like we have a mis-information minister rather than an information minister. Instead of giving clear information, the 'rakyat' are confused by our mis-info minister.

everywhere people in the heartlands of US and Mexico call it swine fever, no less...after all there are generic, traditional names to every disease,so, what gives?

It is NOT pigs, chicken etc. It is the mentality of this racist being known a rais! And of course the so called 'non babi eaters' above.

Typical of UMNO leadership, yah! Stick to local convenience, easier for local announcers!"

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.

H1N1 is an international terms to describe this specific virus infection, and he wanted to change. Don't you think he is trying to confuse public. Exactly, the same scenario when he is trying to explain Perak issue previously. He has wrong perception of rakyat knowledge. His mentality is highly suspected.

Rais -- the clown that Malaysia sent to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to fight for Pulau Batu Puteh. With a swine brain such as his, it is not difficult to understand why we lost.

his brain is probably infected by selesma babi

How can a Minister dictate how terms are used based on the ease of pronounciation. If in Bahasa Melayu announcers find it difficult to pronounce H1N1, then use "selama babi"-lah. Why must force other language users to use SWINE FLU if WHO recommended Flu A HINI? Who does RAIS think he is? Demi-god determining people's CULTURE? What kind of message he is trying to send to the rakyat? This kind of Minister shows that whatever Najib's promise for reform is only lip-service...just like his own statement on "MUSLIMNESS" on PAS-UMNO unity talk.

Rais oh Rais,

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.

He's trying to show the peoples that he is the most brilliant and most outstanding of all, but he didn't realize that he is belong to nobody in this world.

If you are provoked to respond unprofessionally like many of you are, it may just prove a point that he may fishing for - "see, you all also have racial tendencies" - rightly or wrongly. Don't call him BABI Rais. Just tell him to follow internationally-recognised terminology .... (and also international benchmarks in many other areas of national policy-making). Granted, he may also be just ignorant about things outside his PhD expertise, as well as past and present ministerial portofolios.
Always Malaysian

Ulterior motive of trying to drive a wedge between the two races, I sense. If without such malice then he might have made a very grave comment.

If a muslim gets "selsema babi", is he still a muslim? If one guy with "selsema babi" goes to the mosque and spread to all peace loving muslims will they be shun because they are "unclean"? Maybe rais is right. We must kniw who is halal and who is not. Malaysia boleh!

After getting this barrage of criticism from the public for his idiotic idea, we won't be surprised that Rais will say the press has misquoted him.

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?

Well done Rais! This sets a new low in mis-information! You're definitely a capable successor to our beloved Mr. Zam!

Information - inaccurate
Communication - misleading
Culture - none

What's Rais KPI?

Rais is brilliant! “Selsema babi” is the unifying factor for all Malaysian. It will soon spread across all religions and cultures whether you like it or not. Soon halal or non-halal won't matter because we will all be infected with "Pig Flu"! God's way of telling us mortals that we are all the same whether you like it or not. Bravo Rais !

If Rais is so smart, why is he still Malaysian Information Minister? He should have been appointed to some UN agencies to teach those first world people.