A ban o­n the word "condom" o­n airwaves is hampering Aids awareness campaigns o­n local television and radio, a report said today.

But the Malaysian Aids Council, headed by Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad's daughter Marina, is using guile to get around the problem, the Sun said.

"Even when we conducted a radio show o­n Aids awareness, we had to plant people to call up the station to ask 'So what is a condom for?' just so that we would be able to talk about it," Marina Mahathir was quoted as saying.

Malaysia's censors are infamous for their bans o­n books and films as they seek to keep sex under cover, recently banning an episode of the popular television comedy "Friends" when the actors were deemed to be a little too friendly. AFP