Dissolve the State Assembly

We urge Sultan Azlan Shah to dissolve the state assembly.
Written by Koon Yew Yin
Saturday, 23 May 2009 11:45

Malaysian Courts: Going Super Fast

Allow me to share a quote of wisdom : 'Though the wheels of justice grind slowly, yet they grind exceeding small; Though with patience he stands waiting, with exactness grinds he all'.

I have read that there was a case of medical negligence, and involving the death of a lawyer, which took 23 years to reach our Court of Appeal. Yet these slow grinding wheels seem to have become supercharged for the benefit of Zambry Abd Kadir.

When the High Court on May 11 recognised Mohd Nizar Jamaluddin as the rightful Menteri Besar of Perak, the Court of Appeal lost no time in granting Zambry a stay of execution on the High Court decision. It did so within a few hours, in fact.

Malaysian courts are now creating a record with their supersonic speed in disposing cases. Yesterday (Friday, May 22), the appellate court overturned the High Court judgment favouring Nizar, and instead ruled that Zambry is the legitimate Menteri Besar.

Justices Md Raus Sharif, Zainun Ali and Ahmad Maarop made a unanimous decision in favour of Zambry, prompting Nizar's lead counsel Sulaiman Abdullah to comment that Malaysia has extraordinary judges who can pass extraordinary judgment.

Beyond the Political Checkmate

Obviously we will never see the end of Perak's battles in the courts. No sooner the court decides on one case, another legal suit pops up. Justice NH Chan has already written several articles on the Perak constitutional crisis. He had earlier boldly pointed out five errant judges; perhaps he will soon finger three plus one more.

n the meantime and on another front, Speaker V. Sivakumar has just filed a suit against R. Ganesan who took over his chair - literally - albeit with a little help from his 'friends' (the security men from outside the dewan) during the state assembly sitting in Ipoh on May 7.

So what we have is the curious cases of Menteri Besar One vs Menteri Besar Two, and Speaker One vs Speaker Two fighting it out in the courts with numerous suits and counter suits.

I wrote 'Checkmate Barisan Nasional in Perak' on March 21 premised on the term 'checkmate' in chess when an opponent has no further move to protect his king. There seems to be no viable state government now in Perak with both the BN and Pakatan Rakyat continuously checking each other's move.

I had then suggested that a quick return to the ballot box was the only morally and legally defensible option, and also the way out of this political quagmire. But Perak has remained stuck in an impasse precisely because the vote has not been returned to the rakyat.

It is expected that if Ganesan is pronounced rightful Speaker by the court, he would be calling an emergency session to oust Nizar and counting on the three defectors to deliver Barisan Nasional its majority. Is it fair for the overwhelmingly Umno-dominated coalition to govern the state by depending solely on its so-called three 'independents friendly to BN', especially when two of those assemblymen are under investigation for corruption?

On May 8, I wrote another article 'Treason of the Malaysian hawks' - the phrase 'treason of the hawks' borrowed from American policy analyst Fred Ikle - and which I found useful in that 'treason' bears some equivalence to the Malay term 'derhaka'.

It is treasonous if the opposing halves, by fighting too much and too long, eventually bring about untold damage to the state. In my second article on the Perak deadlock, I again urged that only the ballot box can determine the people's choice and who it is that possesses the people's trust to rule Perak.

The Sultan, the Raja Muda and Past Words of Wisdom

As a Perakian, I am very disturbed and saddened by the current uncertainty in my beloved but politically volatile state. These protracted legal tussles are undermining the rule of law and might I add, the monarchy too. It is particularly disheartening to observe the rule of law eroded in a state governed by no less than a former Lord President of the Supreme Court, the eminent Sultan Azlan Shah.

Like all Malaysians, during the past two years prior to the elections, I was very impressed by the inspiring speeches given by the Perak monarch and his son, crown prince Raja Nazrin Shah.

In his address at the 14th Malaysian Law Conference in October 2007, his Royal Highness said, "All countries, including those that are totalitarian regimes, have courts. But as I observed previously, 'The [mere] existence of courts and judges in every ordered society proves nothing; it is their quality, their independence, and their powers that matter'."

Sultan Azlan had also noted that "In matters concerning the judiciary, it is the public perception of the judiciary that ultimately matters. A judiciary loses its value and service to the community if there is no public confidence in its decision-making".

he Raja Muda who holds a doctorate in Political Economy and Government from Harvard University ranks no lesser in degree of wisdom to the exalted father. It is a measure of the man - to be filling the shoes of such a giant in law - that Raja Nazrin's advice is equally learned.

In his keynote address in conjunction with National Integrity Day last year, Raja Nazrin said, "Generally, the Rulers act based on the advice by government leaders elected by the people. Nevertheless, the Rulers cannot accede to acts which do not symbolise justice or sanction moves which do not mirror truth.

"The Rulers' views, observation and counsel in the administrative affairs of the country touching on the question of integrity which encompasses justice, law, judiciary, misappropriation, power abuse, corruption and wealth distribution, are with the desire to strengthening the Government so that it is stable and receives people's trust."

Raja Nazrin has spoken many times on the importance of upholding the Federal Constitution in keeping the nation united and cohesive. He once quoted the words of renowned jurist Baroness Helena Kennedy, a QC: "The rule of law is one of the tools we use in our stumbling progress towards civilising the human condition: a structure of law, with proper methods and independent judges, before whom even a government must be answerable".

Only last year at the 17th Tun Ismail Ovation, Raja Nazrin drew much admiration when he told the audience, "Walking the talk is therefore more than just a nice maxim. It is integral to what good leadership is about and what being a leader means."

As a loyal subject of Perak state , I and my fellow Perakians have been blessed with the sterling leadership shown by our royal house. Last month during the Perak awards ceremony in conjunction with his birthday celebration, Sultan Azlan reinforced our long-held conviction when he said, "The rulers have a far wider responsibility in ensuring that the spirit of the Constitution, the philosophy behind the written law, and the interest of the country and the people are safeguarded at all times."

Raja Nazrin Shah on the same occasion said he would make all efforts to ensure the institution of royalty, which was core to the system of governance and nationhood in the country, continues to be protected.

Perak Royalty's Duty

To safeguard the interest of the country and the institution of royalty, the voice and will of the rakyat must be respected. It has to be called on to be heard - in one way or another - because though the wheels of justice grind slowly, they grind exactingly.

To the letter of the law a government must be answerable, and the one standing above politics must be accountable. In my humble opinion, Perak will regain its shine and the people's trust when the Sultan accedes to the dissolution of the state assembly. Once again, we urge Sultan Azlan Shah to dissolve the state assembly.

GIVE OUR LIVES BACK TO US

U.N. Owen

For the first time in my life, recent events in Ipoh and the tremendous support it has generated throughout Malaysia, has made me interested in politics.

Sadly, for Perak, those who could act and should have acted, to stop the outrage to our country, did not. A golden opportunity was lost.

That was not the only thing that vaporised. Reputations, trust, confidence and expectations were all demolished or diminished.

How could those at the top be so out of touch? Who did they think they could decieve by being so disconnected from the rest of us? Why did they display such arrogance? What could they gain by ignoring public opinion?

Instead of doing the right thing and giving the voters what they wanted, Perak was allowed to wallow in its own filth. The country performed like a headless chicken. With two of everything - mentri besars, speakers, parties vying for power, it was a case of 'Too many cooks spoil the soup'

Right up to last Friday's judgement, we had an incompetent local government, 2 leaders, one discarded speaker and another despised speaker, together with several politicians with clouds over their heads.

But now, we still have that incompetent state government, politicians with clouds over their heads and a leader who might wish to reflect that although he has been placed at the head of the country, but does he believe he commands the hearts and minds of his people?

There is something seriously amiss with the way we are governed as a whole in Malaysia, but the extent to which the abuse of power or the way certain politicians have behaved without integrity or honour and conspired to exploit to their own advantage the whole system, has besmirched the most important part of our constitution - that of our democratic right.

If the voters want an election, then they should get one.

Our government acts with such a frenzy behind the scenes that the character of the nation is changed beyond recognition. It is not the Malaysia that was born in 1957 - a nation united, its people intertwined. The Malaysia today is divided, has strayed from its path of oneness and its people are fractured.

What is it that possesses those in power to commit acts of total control and domination over us, without allowing freedom of the individual? Why are we subject to interference, intrusion and incompetence? Has this government no sense of history? What happened to the philosophical framework from within which they can gauge where government activity should end and when the life of the private citizen should begin? This government has lost all sense of proportion when their domineering, bully-boy tactics does nothing but seriously curtails the freedom of the individual.

The Perak government crisis has only brought resentment to the fore.

Important institutions like the police and the jucidiary have been politicised. Things are allowed to fester. The system has been abused and we have been betrayed. We are appalled by the corruption of minds, people and practices. Without a doubt, we are mad as hell.

Illegal arrests, over-reaction, seizure of computers, a media that is gagged, publishers that are silenced.......that is life in our beloved Perak.....no...I am wrong.......it is atypical of all Malaysia....

This government is acting without authority. They may have 'won' this round but they are operating from a position of weakness, of doubt and of insecurity.

Truly, we have the worst of all worlds.

We are over governed and badly governed.
We are over policed (importance and concentration is placed in riot control and 'opposition parties control') and badly policed (too many doing filing, administration and crowd control but too few are on the beat).
We are over monitored (CCTVs everywhere invading our privacy) and badly monitored (if it is claimed CCTVs help reduce crime, then why is crime on the up?).

But there is a faint glimmer of hope.......The one GOOD thing to come out of this messy debacle is that maybe now, everyone will make sure they will use their vote come election time.

For those of us who went to university, do you recall the time at the start of the academic year, when we were warned that we should vote in the student union elections? That was to ensure that the wrong people did NOT get in. And so we should do the same at the next general elections.

We need to vote not just for necessity or for party political reasons, but also because we want good governance and to assert representative democracy.

And when the elections are over, we need not remind the elected representatives that they are our servants, not the other way around.

Oh, and before I forget....how ironical is it not, that this concept of One Malaysia for which I had serious misgivings, might just be made to work....? As far as I can see, it has galvanised us into action to obliterate the undesirable political class so that we can restore good governance.

Gutter level politics?

Noel D' Oliveiro

Politics in our country has reached an abominable level. To say politicians resort to gutter politics is putting it mildly.

It is one huge embarrassment when we get to discuss politics with foreigners.

Facts have been distorted, lies and innuendos created.

Character assassinations, legal maneuvering and questionable tactics stand out like a sore thumb.

It has become too big, too corrupt, and too controlled by special interests.

Ballot access doesn’t seem a fundamental right anymore.

Free and fair elections have become a myth.

What have they done to our once paradise of a country?

The Alternative Alphabetical Guide to Perak

By : U.N. Owen (A Perakian)

Azlan Shah, the beleaguered Sultan of Perak who misjudged the mood of the nation either because he was misinformed or misadvised and whose actions have reduced Perak to a pariah state.

Black is the ‘in’ colour and means of making a political statement. To be clothed in black however risks arrest. Baking cakes, is also an offensive act, and can lead to a time behind bars.

C is the crisis of confidence that plagues Perak. The reputation of our constitutional monarchy is at its lowest ebb and our government is crippled. The High Court declared Datuk Seri Nizar as the rightful mentri besar, a decision which was swiftly overturned by the Court of Appeal leading to the public’s contempt and condemnation of the judiciary.

Democracy, currently on trial in Perak, although many are convinced that it has already died. Despondency and despair best reflects the mood of Perakians. Those at the top are denying the people their rights; they do not sense the depth of anger felt by the masses.

Economic growth in Perak is seriously affected with foreign investment and productivity at an all time low. Perakians feel they are being punished for daring to break old taboos. To those who engineered this dilemma, the longer this ‘mess’ continues, the more severe the backlash. And remember this, 'Elephants never forget and cannot forgive’.

Frog is the derogatory and damning term used to describe the greedy, despicable and self-serving politicians who swopped party affiliations and started this horrid chain of events.

Ganesan is the self-proclaimed Speaker of the Perak assembly who commands less respect than newts in the bottom of the pondlife.

Hee Yit Foong, attention seeking MP of Jelapang, arguably the most greedy and most despised of the ‘3 traitors’.

Ipoh, the capital of Perak, where this circus portrayal of people denied the chance to exercise their democratic rights, is being played out on the stage of real life. With apologies to the legendary phrase about Nero, Perak’s own reads “While Najib Fiddled, Ipoh Burned.”

Judiciary comes out perfumed like the pong of Rafflesia. Its questionable reputation makes it just as tarred as the illegally installed government of Perak.

Key figures to solve this crisis are – the Sultan and the Prime Minister.

Leadership, or rather lack of leadership, which is being displayed by the two key people.

Malaysians the world over are following the Perak dilemma with much interest and sadness, that after 51 years, we have regressed rather than acted with maturity.

Nizar Jamaluddin the ousted mentri besar of Perak who has stood his ground with the backing of the nation and has seen a meteoric rise of popularity with his sincerity, integrity and steadfast dedication to duty.

One Malaysia, a soundbite or slogan of the Prime Minister which has no relevance in Perak as we have 2 mentri besars, 2 speakers, 2 state governments jostling for power and 3 villified defectors who are just as popular as people who have gonorrhoea.

Police force's dedication to duty and serving the public is needed, NOT brute force. People are arrested for wearing black, for holding candle lit vigils, for attending peaceful protests and for being lawyers. The police is much the problem as it is the solution. It has undergone a metamorphosis into a political force rather than a body which enforces the law.

Questionable moves by the judiciary in Kuala Lumpur have only increased the people’s scorn and contempt for them.

Respect is a rare commodity. It is something the authorities demand and conveniently choose to forget, that respect has to be earned, and cannot be forced at will. Protestations will never endear the people to those who doggedly demand respect, even if it is for their speeches. Respect functions much like trust. Once people lose respect for us or lose their trust in us, it is akin to losing your virginity. Once it is lost, it can never be regained.

Speaker Sivakumar, commands the support and respect of Perakians. He was shamefully bundled out of the state secretariat by thugs. If not for the social networking sites like twitter and media sharing facilities such as YouTube, the whole world would have been blissfully ignorant of the sickening and shocking scenes of Sivakumar’s eviction. More shame to be heaped on those who pulled the strings behind the scenes.

Tree of Democracy where on the 3rd March, speaker Sivakumar convened Perak’s historic emergency sitting of the Assembly under the rainforest tree outside the secretariat, where they had earlier been barred.

Unity is mirrored in the voice of over 91% of Perakians wanting free and fair elections to decide whom they wish to govern them and who should be at its helm.

Verdict of the Court of Public Opinion states that the victims of this debacle are the citizens of Perak and democracy. However, if this stalemate is allowed to continue, the current leadership, who currently show characteristic impotence in acting for the good of the people, may well end up being the victims.

Wong Chin Huat, political activist and lecturer who was jailed for initiating the One Black Malaysia movement. Like using a sledgehammer to crack a nut, armed police then arrested his students who were merely protesting against their lecturer’s arrest.

‘X’traordinary scenes eclipsing this dilemma have ranged from women and children being teargassed outside the Ubudiah mosque in Kuala Kangsar, to the Assembly session under the Tree of Democracy, the dismantling of plaques under this tree by the city council workers, the coachloads of people from other states wanting to savour the historical significance of this tree, the shambolic treatment of the speaker Sivakumar, the euphoria of Datuk Nizar being declared the mentri besar followed by the shock sudden announcement of the one man show court of appeal in overturning this decision.

YouTube. Brilliant for capturing and broadcasting the scenes that many would not want us to see.

Zambry Abdul Kadir, the ‘other’ mentri besar who many feel was illegally installed on the 6th February, who has delusions of grandeur and is fast making himself an object of ridicule and derision by comparing himself with the world’s ‘greats’

The Apathy of the Majority
By : Yin Ee Kiong, a proud Perakian

Raja Petra in his recent 'No Holds Barred' column commented on the apathy of Perakians in the standoff against the authorities concerning Perak’s Constitutional Crisis. He said that if protesters could come all the way from Kelantan and Kuala Lumpur, Perakians have no excuse not to be there.

I wholly concur with RPK.

The few I called to join in the protest had ready- made excuses why they could not. I wasn’t surprised; just angry. But this is nothing new about Malaysians in general. We have a ‘not in my backyard’ attitude on everything from the location of incinerators and telephone relay discs, to human rights abuse and even the simple matter of littering – as long as it is ‘not in my backyard’ and does not affect me directly, it does not concern me. Ergo, I do nothing about it – let someone else protest.

What is wrong with Malaysians? Is it because of our feudal mentality that we don’t challenge our government? Is it cowardice? Or selfishness? Or are we too busy ‘cari makan’ that we cannot spare a little time to protest against any injustices.

Go to Indonesia and you can engage the-man- on-the-street in political discussions and you will be surprised how clued on he is . . . and how prepared he is to defend his rights.

Koreans would have demanded that their prime minister step down in the same situation that our prime minister is in. They would never accept a prime minister with the kind of question marks hanging over ours. And it must be said, a Korean politician in office would probably have resigned or stepped down until the matter is resolved. They have a tradition of honour which our politicians lack. The same code of honour binds the Japanese and British.

The Thais would never countenance the kind of power-grab that BN is guilty of. Nor would they expect interference from their monarch in the politics of the state like what the Sultan of Perak has done.

In Malaysia we are only just seeing signs of political activism by the populace. But still it’s largely centered in the Klang Valley and to a lesser degree in Penang. And it must be said, it’s always the same people who storm the Bastille so to speak. Where are the others?

While this is generally a Malaysian malaise; on the matter of the Perak Constitutional Crisis Perakians should be ashamed of themselves for their apathy. Do we expect the Kelantanese, Penangites or KLites to fight our battle? In a way it’s their battle too it must be said, but it is foremost our battle. No one is asking Perakians to break the law but at least if they had turned up in numbers and stood silently in the prescribed mourning black, it would have sent a powerful message to the powers-that-be.

This is not a matter of taking sides – it’s not a case of PR vs BN. This is a matter of the rape of our Constitution. It should concern all Perakians whichever side of the political divide they are on. This is a case of the 'rakyat' having the final say in who they want to govern their state. Not who the Sultan wants. And if that cannot be resolved in the State Assembly then we should go back to the ballot box.

Sometimes we have to act, because silence only encourages the tormentor. If we don’t speak up when others are being unfairly persecuted our turn will come and who will speak up for us then?

To paraphrase Dr Martin Luther King - the greatest sin is not perpetrated by those who have destroyed the Constitution or who have used force against peaceful protests, but the vast majority who have sat idly by.

Perak Crisis: Treason of the Malaysian Hawks
Commentary by Koon Yew Yin
8th May 2009

Hawks and Doves
A good friend drew my attention recently to an incisive article on the distinction between peace makers and hardliners that can make an important difference to the country. It was written by Stephen M. Walt who is the Robert and Renée Belfer Professor of International Relations at Harvard University.

Please check out: The treason of the Hawks

In the article, Walt points out that Fred Iklé coined the term "treason of the hawks" to describe those tragic situations where hardliners stubbornly refuse to make peace and thereby lead their countries to disaster. Iklé, who served as Ronald Reagan’s under secretary of defense was clearly no dove or man of peace. But he was a smart man who recognized that obstinate opposition to making peace is dangerous to a nation's future and potentially as damaging as deliberately selling out to the enemy.

After pointing out that "treason" is a word that carries especially harsh moral connotations, Iklé noted:

[T]he English language is without a word of equally strong opprobrium to designate acts that can lead to the destruction of one’s government and one’s country, not by giving aid and comfort to the enemy, but by making enemies, not by fighting too little, but by fighting too much and too long. 'Adventurism' -- much too weak a word -- is perhaps the best term to describe this 'treason of the hawks'.... Treason can help our enemies destroy our country by making them stronger; adventurism can destroy our country by making our enemies more numerous.

Although the Ikle work was written as an analysis of the management of US policy, I believe that we can apply the term usefully to other countries, including Malaysia. One reason why this term “treason of the hawks” may be useful to us is that the term “treason” or its equivalent Malay term “derhaka’ has been used more and more frequently, especially since the beginning of the Perak constitutional crisis. Who are the hawks in Malaysia and who have been guilty of treason? And more important them labelling: what is the way forward so we can get out of the Perak mess.

Where I Come From

Let me begin by declaring my new interest in the subject of treason and loyalty and on how I intend to apply these concepts to the present crisis in Perak. I am not a politician or a political scientist. I am a retired engineer and like most Malaysians, a follower of the political trends in the country because these trends impact on all of us in one way or another. Secondly, I am a Perakian who has been, and continues to be, loyal and fully committed to making Perak and Malaysia a better place for ourselves and our younger generation. As with all patriotic and peace loving citizens in the state and country I am totally alienated with what has been happening in our beautiful state and I especially now feel compelled to speak out when I see how high-handed the Barisan National has been in seizing political control of Perak. This seizure has finally been consummated by gangster-like tactics employed in yesterday’s State Assembly opening – tactics which have now been plastered in newspapers all over the world and which have earned its perpetrators eternal shame and notoriety.

In the coming days what we will see and hear about over the official and government controlled mass media radio, television and newspapers is an attempt to make it appear as if the struggle over political control in Perak is over and that what has taken place is a political contestation between treasonous malcontents on the one side and patriotic Malaysians on the other; between royalists and anti-royalists; and between traditionalists and extremists.

Will The Hawks Make Peace?

Instead of going along or opposing this analysis, I think we should adopt Ikle’s approach and pose the question as to who are the ones that are truly our enemies and who are the ones that are engaging in acts that are undermining our country and are destroying our democratic system of government. When we apply Ikle’s analysis, it is clear that we are in a situation where the hardliners (and its supporters, including those in very high places) are stubbornly refusing to make peace and in the process, are leading the state to possible disaster.

Making peace in Perak is easily within reach. Firstly we need to discuss the constitutional and legal issues underpinning the power grab in an open, objective and balanced fashion. Many of these issues have been succinctly dissected by retired appellate judge, Dato N.H. Chan in his series of commentaries which have appeared in the CPI website and other websites. They include

a) The tussle in Perak between the Sultan and the Mentri Besar,

b) How to judge a judge,

c) When the highest court of the land can take down the government of the day, and

d) The inconvenient judge

The fact that the mainstream newspapers have refused to print any of his arguments but have concentrated instead on focusing on the constitutional and legal views advanced by establishment politicians and their lawyers is a poorly disguised attempt to sway public opinion. It is also a clear refusal to make peace; a desperate act by our Malaysian hawks to generate war-like propaganda which unfortunately will only have the opposite effect of prolonging the instability and strife.

Secondly, any court ruling – whether it favours Nizar or Zambry - is only a temporary solution. The most important way to arrive at peace in Perak – for both BN and PR sides - is not to fight too hard and too long or to label each other as traitors and treasonous but to go back to the ballot box. Only the ballot box – if not immediately now, only three years away unless emergency rule is declared – can decide the choice of the people and reveal who has the political and moral legitimacy to rule in Perak. This is the only sensible way forward in this crisis – returning to our democratic roots and values and not engaging in shows of force or other underhand tactics that can only delay the inevitable.

Opposition to my suggestion – and many other thoughtful Malaysians have made a similar suggestion - can only come from those that are truly the hawks. At this difficult and contentious stage of Malaysian history we need doves, not hawks. Doves, not hawks, will ensure that Malaysians will never again have to go through the sorry spectacle shown in this YouTube recording of the state assembly on 7 May 09.

An Appeal Letter To All Perakians and Concerned Citizens

Received this from a friend

I appeal to ALL Perakians and Concerned Citizens who want to see sanity, political stability and peace back in the State of Perak to come forward and together, let’s make our presence felt at the Perak State Secretariat on thurs 7th May 2009. Let's not allow our children and their grandchildren to think we did nothing, that we just watched "live"

on tv as history unfold.

Perak has been and still is without a proper legitimate State Government, close to 3 months now and it has caused grave economic concerns, hardship and threatening the well-being of everyone in the state!

As electorates, we demand that our rights, wishes and views be taken seriously. We are also very saddened and disappointed to note the Sultan’s sordid stand, while most Malaysians have totally lost faith in our courts!

There seems to be too much politicking on both sides of the divide, and a “forced” proceeding of the Perak State Assembly at this point of time will in many’s opinion, not be constructive or at all productive.

Kembalikan HAK Rakyat Perak, that’s all we ask for!

a concerned citizen

WHO to stop using term 'swine flu' to protect pigs

Associated Press Writer Frank Jordans, Associated Press Writer – Thu Apr 30, 7:02 pm ET

GENEVA – The World Health Organization announced Thursday it will would stop using the term "swine flu" to avoid confusion over the danger posed by pigs. The policy shift came a day after Egypt began slaughtering thousands of pigs in a misguided effort to prevent swine flu.

WHO spokesman Dick Thompson said the agriculture industry and the U.N. food agency had expressed concerns that the term "swine flu" was misleading consumers and needlessly causing countries to ban pork products and order the slaughter of pigs.

"Rather than calling this swine flu ... we're going to stick with the technical scientific name H1N1 influenza A," Thompson said.