Deputy Health Minister Datuk Dr Abdul Latiff Ahmad admittedly has a few short-comings to be put right before he can actually do the work of a deputy health minister. Here I am referring to his earlier statement that doctors have license to kill, and now the condom message all woman must carry condoms in their hand bags.
- First among this is his language. Somebody should give him a book on grammar particularly relating to figure of speech. This of course refers to his immature understanding of what a doctor does and what they cannot do. They don’t have license to kill. I can’t call him a politician whose words reveal less about what he thinks about his subject than what he thinks about his audience, in other words a nincompoop, and say it is a figure of speech.
- Second, by not apologising, for a mistake done, he assumes doctors are killers. As a health minister he has to change his concept, that doctors treat people and not kill people.
His theory on the condom, that women carry one like a cosmetic item to be used whenever the need arises is tom foolery. This is definitely going to increase the sale of condoms, and some manufacturers are rubbing their hands in glee thinking of the extra money coming in. He should be educated that if he is referring to housewives ready to be contaminated by the husbands having HIV, then it is best a condom is used, and not every man who has sex has HIV and all housewives carry condoms in their hand bags.
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia: Malaysia’s deputy health minister urged every woman in the country to carry a condom to protect against HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, a news report said Sunday.
“This is not to debase them but to protect them. Women are the first ones to get exploited by their (HIV-positive) partners,” Abdul Latiff Ahmad was quoted as saying by the Sunday Star newspaper.
“But this is just a suggestion, it’s up to them.”
Abdul Latiff made the remarks to coincide with the International Aids Memorial Day, which was celebrated openly Saturday for the first time in the Muslim-majority country in a bid to reduce stigma for victims. In the past, the event was held behind closed doors.
Last year, 745 Malaysian women were identified as HIV-positive and 193 women were diagnosed with AIDS, he said in the report.
Officials have said nearly 81,000 Malaysians have been infected with HIV. Less than 10 percent of them are women, but the number is steadily rising.
Abdul Latiff and other health ministry officials could not be reached Sunday for comment.
Malaysian AIDS Council President Adeeba Kamarulzaman was quoted as saying besides sex workers many women who contract HIV are housewives, infected unknowingly by their husbands.
“It’s not that people don’t know that condoms can protect them. But there are some men who do not care to take the precaution, even though they know they have HIV,” she said.
Report: Malaysian women urged to carry condoms to prevent HIV – International Herald Tribune
Aarvidi's Weblog 
One Comment
saya adalah salah seorang pesakit buah pinggang yang sedang membuat hemodialisis di klinik komoditi tanglin, jalan Cenderasari Kuala Lumpur seminggu tiga (3) kali iaitu isnin, rabu dan jumaat. saya berkhidmat di Institut Tadbiran Awam Negara, Jabatan Perkhidmatan Awam Malaysia Kampus Utama Bukit Kiara Kuala Lumpur. Masalah saya sekarang ialah besar kemungkinan klinik Hemodialisis ini akan di tutup. Saya sebagai pesakit amat-amatlah merayu agar Unit Hemodialisis ini janganlah di tutup Kasihanilah saya. Mula di buka Unit Hemodialisis ini pada 2004 sayalah pesakit pertama. Tetapi saya rasa sedih dengan tindakan untuk menutup Unit ini. Saya merayu agar Datuk Dr Abdul Latiff Ahmad sebagai Timbalan Menteri Kementerian Kesihatan Malaysia dapat mempertimbangkan dan mengambil tindakan yang sewajarnya. Sekian terima kasih