Anti-dengue banners with bad translation to be removed

KUANTAN: The Pahang Government has asked the health authorities to take down several anti-dengue banners with incorrect Mandarin translation.

The banners, which also carry the Bahasa Melayu text, were found around Taman Bukit Setongkol here.

They were meant to warn residents that their neighbourhood was dengue-prone and that immediate action had to be taken to wipe out breeding grounds for the Aedes mosquito that causes the disease.

Households found to harbour the mosquito larvae can face a RM500 compound.

The Bahasa Melayu word denggi appeared to have been phonetically translated into Mandarin, rendering it meaningless. The translation for kompaun was also incorrect.

The rest of the Mandarin text— while reasonably understood — was not well-translated.

State Local Government, Health and Environment Committee chairman Datuk Hoh Khai Mun said he had directed the health office to replace the banners.

Apologising on behalf of the district health office, he said there was no ill-intention.

“There may have been some mistakes during the translation. We will rectify it immediately,” he said.

Hoh said Pahang had 894 dengue cases last year, a 47% drop over 2010. He said 60% of the cases were reported in Kuantan. Lost in translation: One of the many wrongly translated banners in Taman Bukit Setongkol.