TheJakartaPost
Please Update your browser
Your browser is out of date, and may not be compatible with our website. A list of the most popular web browsers can be found below.
Just click on the icons to get to the download page.
Popular Reads
Top Results
No results found. Please check your search term and try again
Can't find what you're looking for?
View all search results
Popular Reads
Top Results
No results found. Please check your search term and try again
Can't find what you're looking for?
View all search resultsTweeting minister scorned over jokes about AIDS
JAKARTA: Communications and Information Technology Minister Tifatul Sembiring yesterday joked about AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome) patients via his personal Twitter account, @tifsembiring
Change text size
Gift Premium Articles
to Anyone
Share the best of The Jakarta Post with friends, family, or colleagues. As a subscriber, you can gift 3 to 5 articles each month that anyone can read—no subscription needed!
J
AKARTA: Communications and Information Technology Minister Tifatul Sembiring yesterday joked about AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome) patients via his personal Twitter account, @tifsembiring.
In one of his updates posted on Wednesday at around 9:30 p.m., Tifatul said AIDS stood for Akibat Itunya Ditaruh Sembarangan, meaning in English, “caused by reckless use of one’s penis”. He was quoting former health minister Sujudi’s remark on AIDS.
Numerous Twitter users found Tifatul’s remarks offensive.
News anchor, Desi Anwar, whose account is @desianwar, said in her status update, “Dear Mr. @tifsembiring, listen to me. If you cannot tweet properly and correctly, you’d better stay silent.”
A journalist, Candra Malik, in his account @candramalik, said “AIDS is a health issue, not a joke, Mr. @tifsembiring”.
Tifatul, in his defense, said that anyone had the right to voice their opinions on Twitter and he did not intend to offend AIDS patients, and he only quoted the remark of a professor who wanted to make the disease easier to remember. — JP
