Boeing Funds Breast Cancer Educational Materials In Bahasa Malaysia

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 26 (Bernama) -- The Boeing Company Friday announced a US$20,000 (about RM75,000) funding for the Universiti Putra Malaysia-Cornell University Breast Cancer Education Project to produce educational materials on breast cancer awareness, treatment and management in Bahasa Malaysia.
The idea is to develop culturally, ethically, and linguistically appropriate materials for use in Malaysia, Brunei and even Indonesia, Paul Walters, Boeing's regional vice president in South East Asia, said in an interview with Bernama.
He said the Malaysian Translators Association (MTA), the major partner in the programme, had translated 10 selected titles into Bahasa Malaysia from the American Cancer Society publications that had been adapted for the Malaysian public.
"The effort to educate the Malaysian public about breast cancer only gained momentum a few years ago. However, most breast cancer education programmes are conducted in major government hospitals, private medical centres, and breast cancer clinics and these are most often located in major cities," said Walters.
He said that except for programmes conducted in government hospitals, breast cancer education programmes mostly use English as the language of instruction.
"It is this dearth of educational materials in Bahasa Malaysia that we crucially need to address," said Walters.
Vice-Chancellor of Universiti Putra Malaysia, Professor Datuk Dr Ir Mohd Zohadie bin Bardaei, said Boeing's contribution would open up opportunities for a broader spectrum of the Malaysian public to learn more about and better understand breast cancer.