I read in the newspapers the other day and there was this adverstisement by the Tourism Ministry with the headline ‘If you appreciate your Nasi Lemak, Laksa and Meat Bone Tea, share it with us’.

It went on to ask readers to log on to Fabulous Food 1Malaysia and to list out the Nasi Lemak, Laksa and Meat Bone Tea places which are the best in Malaysia.

Now, what on earth is ‘Meat Bone Tea’?

It is incredulous that the people at the Tourism Ministry who sponsored this ad are so idiotic and small-minded that they cannot even give ‘Meat Bone Tea’ its correct local name. It is not ‘Meat Bone Tea ‘but ‘bak kut teh’.

Why must the correct local term for this fabulously delicious dish be translated into some ridiculous sounding English name which no one can possibly identify with?

Is it because it is a Chinese dish made of pork and therefore cannot be given its proper local name? Do I smell some form of racial or cultural discrimination here?

If the people at the Tourism Ministry insist on translating everything into English, then they should call Nasi Lemak ‘Fat Rice’ or Nasi Kandar ‘Kandar rice’ or perhaps Roti Canai ‘canai bread’. Is it still permissible to call Yong Tau Foo ‘Yong Tau Foo’?

I know of many places in the Klang Valley which sell delicious ‘bak kut teh’ but perhaps our Tourism Minister Ng Yen Yen can name me one coffeeshop which sells ‘Meat Bone Tea’.

If the prime minister is so keen on promoting ‘1Malaysia’. I suggest he look into this kind of subtle discrimination or his pet project is going to fall flat on its face.