Mat Blames Google For Translation Of Mindef Website

[Windsor]

Mindef blames Google Translate for ‘poke-eye’ blunder

RAWANG: The Defence Ministry had relied on the free online Google Translate for the English version of its official website, which resulted in the many mistakes found on the site.

“We have corrected the mistakes and translations are no longer done that way. “It is now done manually,” Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said here yesterday.

He admitted that the inaccurate translations had caused much embarrassment to the ministry.

It was recently reported in The Star that amusing translations of the staff dress code on the ministry's official website were being shared on social networking websites.

The ministry's website had published translations such as “clothes that poke eye”, a literal translation of pakaian yang menjolok mata, which in actual fact means revealing clothes in Bahasa Malaysia.

Others included “collared shirts and tight Malay civet berbutang three”, which, in Malay, is berkolar baju Melayu cekak musang berbutang tiga.

Another was the brief summary of the ministry's history on the website, which read: “After the withdrawal of British army, the Malaysian Government take drastic measures to increase the level of any national security threat”.

The ministry took down its English translated version several hours after it went viral on Twitter and Facebook.

In an immediate response, a ministry spokesman had said that a clarification had been posted on the website, saying that corrective action was being taken to ensure that the translations were accurate.

“We did not intend for the English translations to turn out that way,” said Dr Zahid during a visit to the National Service camp here.

However, a check on the website showed that the English translations were still unavailable.

A Malaysia Boleh blame game.:*: What was written in Bahasa, their own translation and Google's translation.

Blame game FAIL...

BAHASA MALAYSIA
Cara berpakaian yang tidak dibenarkan dalam waktu bekerja:
a) Berpakaian yang memberi sangkaan ianya seolah-olah hendak menghadiri pesta ataupun ke tempat perkelahan
b) Pakaian yang menjolok mata
c) ’Jeans’ atau ’slacks’
d) Seluar pendek
e) Pakaian yang menutup muka
f) Kasut sukan dan selipar
g) Mewarnakan rambut
h) Sut (kecuali dalam keadaaan yang memerlukan seperti untuk tugas luar)
i) Seluar panjang dan blouse (untuk wanita)

ORIGINAL ENGLISH
The dress code is not allowed in the work:
a) Dress up that thought it seems to want to attend a party or picnic
b) Clothes that poke eye........... har-de-har
c) 'jeans' or 'slacks'
d) Short Pants
e) Clothes that cover their face
f) sports shoes and slippers
g) hair dye
h) Suits (except in circumstances that require such work to outside)
i) long pants and blouse (for women)

ACTUAL GOOGLE TRANSLATE FROM MALAY TO ENGLISH
Modes of dress are not permitted in working hours:
a) Wear clothes that give impression it seems to want to attend a party or picnic
b) of scantily clothes
c) 'Jeans' or 'slacks'
d) shorts
e) Clothing that covers the face
f) sports shoes and slippers
g) Colour hair
h) Suits (except in a reasonable manner such as to require external project)
i) trousers and blouse (for women)



Some comments made by locals:

1. why y hire tanslator? 16 yrs education they cant even speak english?

2. Its all google fault. We all know gov servant are lazy bunch, but this is a bit too much. Bak kata melayu, "bodoh tak apa, malas pulak tu". Hope this doesnt translate accross the baord. Else those people that were to defend our country, will be rely on google as well.

Studid and lazy gov servant, bonus every year, done nothing, always away on tea break. PTUI!!!

3. They wanted to mindfucuk the Singapork spies with special Engrish. All planned.

4. The most expensive dept and also the most sophisticated Dept in the Malaysia can't have a single clue to hire someone to write proper English on their website but instead blaming GOOGLE . It shows to the world that pointing 1 finger out, 4 fingers pointing back to the defence minister.
How did they buy submarine, rifles , helicopters etc if they can't read protocols , SOP and manuals in english?
Millions of dollars were spent to obtain the most modern fighting jet and training but they cannot spent for one good translator to translate english in their website.

http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2012/1/10/nation/20120110074210&sec=nation

 

[BuiKia]

Malaysia lah, not MINDEF

 

[Capano2121]

This is what happen when you have a cultural awakening! Awakening to a superior culture that was loss due to war or natural calamity is simply fine, wakening to a old culture to appreciate the value of their innovation is just plain dandy but this awakening to a culture that has seen the lights of conquest by Portuguese, dutch & later by british is just plain stupid! Now with the reverting of their education in full malay, expect more of such screw ups happening!
Now based in KL, they keep asking me if i am indonesian because i speak Bahasa Indonesia & not melayu but still english is my main thoroughfare, try asking for direction in ministry's office & you will get the shock of your life when over a century of colonisation by british & yet still can't speak simple english! But then again, fellow scholars from varsity days in the UK and these bunch of mats still can't speak english after staying there for 4 years! The kampong spirit is really haunting them very badly!

 

[Windsor]

Now based in KL, they keep asking me if i am indonesian because i speak Bahasa Indonesia & not melayu but still english is my main thoroughfare, try asking for direction in ministry's office & you will get the shock of your life when over a century of colonisation by british & yet still can't speak simple english! But then again, fellow scholars from varsity days in the UK and these bunch of mats still can't speak english after staying there for 4 years! The kampong spirit is really haunting them very badly!

Bro...not only mats but the Malaysian Chinese too. I have come across a few that went to UK, mixed only with Hongkongers and their kind and went home after 4 years and still unable to speak English well. Plus their Bahasa also stinks.

 

[Windsor]

Malaysia lah, not MINDEF

Preese exprain, I no unnerstan.