JELEBU: The use of the word mantan in Bahasa Malaysia to denote "former" or "ex" should be reviewed as it is not accurate, said Information, Communications and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim.
He said the word, which is widely used in Indonesia, means "erstwhile" or "unemployed".
Thus, he said, the word was not accurately used to denote former prime minister or former inspector-general of police.
"We have the tendency of using the word like mantan without checking its origin or root. Let us not adopt Indonesian words without knowing their meanings," he said at the opening the Ex-Policemen's Association of Malaysia here yesterday. -- Bernama
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