For The Love of Coins......

In commemoration of the six crowned Queens of England since 1066; Matilda, Mary Tudor, Elizabeth I, Anne, Victoria and Elizabeth II. This set was purchased during my working visit to the British Royal Mint at Llantrisant, Wales, in 2002, the year it was issued.

This Nelson Mandela commemorative coin is a gift from its minter, The South African Mint Company, during the 2002 World Money Fair in Basel, Switzerland. It remains one of my personal favourites.
From January 1st, 2002, 12 of the 15 European Union members (at the time) completed their conversion to using the Euro instead of their own national currencies. The twelve states were Belgium, Germany, Greece, Spain, France, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherland, Austria, Portugal and Finland. This set of 12 was issued to commemorate the occasion.

This 'australian silver kangaroo', with a face value of One Dollar, was struck by the Royal Australian Mint. It was made of one troy ounce of pure (.999) silver. I was attracted to the coin because of its design and the fact that it was made using the 'reverse frosting' technique which gives it a delicately frosted background. This was purchased during the Kuala Lumpur International Money Fair 2003.

In the midst of setting up the Malaysian booth at the 2002 World Money Fair in Basel, Switzerland. Our participation was a runaway success; we sold 80% of what we brought to the show, the most popular being Bank Negara's "Coins of Malaysia 1990 - Limited Special Edition" series.


In scenic Leuggern, a town on the Swiss-French border, located in the canton of Zurzach, Switzerland. We were on a working visit to Faude & Huguenin, a private mint based in Leuggern, before flying off to UK to visit the 1,000 year-old British Royal Mint in Wales. This picture was taken just outside the parameter of the train station. It was early February and there were still snow on the slopes of Leuggern.

For The Love of Coins

A couple of weeks ago I received an intriguing e-mail inviting me to check out a "by invitation only" blog of fellow blogger Reme, a Singaporean journalist who writes under OpEd.

Reme had recently discovered the joys of numismatics and had wanted to share his newfound interest with me. Little did he know that coin collecting is also a hobby of mine. A delightful coincidence, this.

Popped in I did soon after and I was glad to have taken up on the invite because the tour of Reme's blog (and he had a few nice pieces on show) had somehow rekindled my own interest, left dormant for quite some time now.

Numismatics was, and will remain, an occasional hobby of mine. I didn't have the money to indulge in it in a big way (still don't); I splurged only when something truly delectable came along, the charm of which I simply could not resist.

The hobby began ten years ago when I came aboard the Royal Mint of Malaysia as the head of its corporate affairs division. The constant exposure to commemorative issues had somehow evoked a desire to build my own collection.

I was fortunate enough to be able to travel along whenever the Mint participated in international money fairs, to help manage the booth, keep up with new issues and get acquainted with minters from other countries.

Like philately (the study and collecting of stamps), coin-collecting is already considered a 'sunset' industry in Malaysia; it won't be long before this pastime fades into oblivion.

While I cannot ascertain how much truth there is in all this negativity, observations during my Royal Mint tenure certainly pointed in that direction. The waning interest was real.

The younger generations were just not interested in what they saw as a mundane pursuit. They had far too many other more exciting diversions, to bother about collecting and studying coins and stamps.

The World Money Fair in Basel, Switzerland opened my eyes to Swiss children insofar as numismatics was concerned. Our booth was swamped by eager children as young as seven, all wanting to know more about Malaysia and its coins and collectibles.

One boy about 10 years old spent a long time gazing at our display, painstakingly studying several local issues, before settling on the Bank Negara 'Bullock Cart' historical Malacca series.

He also asked many questions about the various coins on show, with his father playing translator for me. On my part, I was only too happy to be of service to such a curious mind.

His father explained that the son had just begun collecting coins and the trip to the Basel Fair was his gift to the boy; he could buy whatever coins he wanted. If I recall correctly, they spent a few hundred Swiss francs at our booth.

What a lucky child, to have such an understanding parent who spared no effort in supporting and encouraging his child's worthy pursuit...

Kuantan In Passing

The two little boys groaned with mock horror as their turreted sandcastle, in all its lopsided glory, crumbled into nothingness with the onslaught of the evening tide.

Their young mother, heavy with yet another child, looked on indulgently, fingers interlocked under her bulging belly, supporting the heaviness within.

I remembered the scene well as I stood on the wooden walkway leading to the stony outcrop at the far end of Kuantan's Teluk Cempedak Saturday, to catch the morning sun and indulge in a bit of nostalgia.

It was as though I had walked right into a page from the past - Kuantan in the late 1970s - when the sandy stretches of Teluk Cempedak, Beserah and Cherating were familiar playgrounds for my growing family.

With the exception of the walkway, which was built long after I left Kuantan in 1980, and the prolification of shops, stalls, tents and huts congesting the strip, things looked pretty much the same, especially further afield at the rock-strewn cove.

Kuantan was a treasure trove of memory for me for it was our first local posting after London. I was 24, with 2 kids in tow and another on the way, and a husband who was away more often than he was around.

Apart from a kindly neighbour with an equally absent spouse, a DARA (Lembaga Kemajuan Pahang Tenggara) officer then involved in the development of Bandar Muazzam Shah in the Pahang interior, I knew not a single soul.

If at all there was any consolation about being transferred to the Kuantan bureau office fresh from London, it was that my hometown Dungun, where my grandparents resided, was well within reach.

A two-hour drive was all it took, meandering through quaint villages and hamlets, and dodging placid cows bent on chewing their cuds whilst parked in the middle of the road, to get to Pah & Tok Ayah's charming, rustic kampung dwelling surrounded by squat kemunting (berry) bushes on one side and slender coconut trees on the other.

Adjusting to the incredibly laidback lifestyle of a provincial town after the hustle and bustle of swinging London wasn't easy. Kuantan was comatose at best. Even the river was sluggish. Time had indeed stood still here..

It was a leisurely drive to Kuantan on Friday. We had earlier wanted to take the more scenic route i.e. the old trunk road, even if that would mean adding two extra hours quite easily to the journey. But thoughts of slow-moving traffic put paid to that.

I would not have minded the extended travelling time. It was the anticipated traffic crawl that put me off. Bearing in mind the school holiday season, I knew we would probably end up 10-car deep for miles behind a lumbering trailer or any of those 16-wheeled behemoths.

It was thus the highway for us, with one pit stop at the Temerloh R & R for lunch. We were now in 'ikan patin country', thus lunch was without a question ikan patin masak tempoyak with rice.

As expected, The R&R was bustling with travellers, local or otherwise. I spied two tourist coaches parked alongside a layby, a Korean family and a couple of Caucasians chattering away as they checked out the foodstalls.

Our bed for the night was a spacious room on the executive floor of the Grand Continental, courtesy of Datin Nurul Huda (aka blogger Mamasita) who would not take 'no' for an answer. Thank you Mamasita for your hospitality, not to mention generosity.

We met the good Datin at Xanax Karaoke & Bistro in Kompleks Teruntum later in the evening. She had meant every word she said about bringing a not-to-be-trifled-with 'Pahang karaoke contingent' to match her KL guests.

Maula and Nabil were powerhouses with awesome vocals whilst Huda's youngest daughter Banun could reach the high notes with ease.

With the reputation of the Kuala Lumpur Federal Territory (or at the very least the Royal Lake Club) at stake (ha ha ha), I had no choice but to give my all, and then some!

Thankfully, Pak Abu chose not to be adventurous with his choice of songs. In the light of such a challenge, he wisely stuck to his tried-and-tested repertoire of Broery's, Michael Learned To Rock and Deep Purple.

Yes folks, Pak Abu, despite his Haji status and shock of silver hair, had never been averse to strumming an imaginary guitar to the mind-blowing tunes of Led Zeppelin, Fleetwood Mac, Queen, Jefferson Airplane, Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin, to name but a few.

Sufficiently exhausted (my voice actually broke at the end..lol), we called it a day at midnight whilst the young 'uns remained in Xanax until 2am, before moving on to a warung for teh tarik, finally trudging home at 4am, according to Mamasita.

It was a benign Saturday morning for the Abus. Mamasita joined us for breakfast at the coffeehouse, bringing nasi lemak kukus and sambal kerang to complement the hotel fare.

We said our goodbyes after breakfast; she had errands to run whilst we had wanted to poke around a bit, in particular the house I used to live in behind MARA Junior Science College, before attending the wedding kenduri (our real reason for the trip) at noon.

We finally bid Kuantan adieu at 2pm, again taking the boring, characterless (but quicker) route with its uninspiring view of oil palm, rubber trees and receding jungle. It was 5pm when Genting Sempah came into view; 30 minutes later we were home, safe and sound.

I know we'll be back soon enough, hopefully with the children too; after all Joe and Ann were born in Kuantan and together with Naj had spent their pre-school years in this quaint little corner of Pahang....

My Cape Malay 'Children'

The Abus (sans Joe, for he's behind the camera) and their newfound Cape Malay 'family' from South Africa. From left: Omar, Zane, Nabilah, Aadilah & Khashiefah.



Chinese dinner at the Royal Lake Club; a new gastronomic experience for our guests who had never "gone Chinese" before. We had steamed tilapia, buttered prawns, lemon chicken, sizzling beef, cili-fried calamari, mixed vegs, fried rice, chinese pancake, longans & sea coconut... the whole works.... all washed down with watermelon juice & piping hot jasmine tea. What a feast!



Zane and wife Aadilah, parents of 4 year-old Zaarah, left at home with doting family members in Cape Town whilst Mom & Dad took a well-deserved holiday. Dad proudly showed us pictures of his little girl; he obviously missed her very much...

Oh, here comes that pesky cameraman again. Joe was our photographer for the evening; can't say he didn't like it, because taking pictures is one of his hobbies..


Our guests enjoying Eid Adha lunch of nasi minyak, ayam kuzi, lemang, rendang and serunding in our humble abode, before Joe and Awwa transported them to One Utama for (more!) shopping..


Naj (in blue baju) holding court. It was lovely to listen to them sharing stories. Naj flew to South Africa countless times during his five years with Malaysia Airlines, so he was quite familiar with Cape Town and Johannesburg.


At Ali Cafe in Hartamas Square, Sri Hartamas, to fulfill Omar's request for teh tarik. He had tasted it before and had developed a liking for it, but had not had the opportunity of capturing the 'pulling' on film.



We told the teh tarik maker of Omar's request; the chap was only to glad to oblige. Everyone crowded around to see the 'pulling', cameras trained on the action!


That's Nabilah, Khashiefah's youngest sister (my baby sister, says she affectionately). Nabilah's 21 and is about to enter college. Asked about her career plans, she says she wants to teach pre-schoolers.


Pak Abu and Zane taking in the 'mamak' atmosphere.

The Cape Malays Who Came For Dinner .. And Stayed (In Our Hearts)

They say the further you travel, the broader your outlook and the more sensible your views. By the grace of God, I have travelled a fair bit, and have had the opportunity of living and working abroad.

I would like to think I am a better person for the experience. Such exposures have helped in broadening my horizon in more ways than I care to imagine; I am definitely less myopic and more receptive of cultures alien to my own.

One of the few places left for me to explore is South Africa. I may not have been to South Africa yet (mark that word 'yet', ha ha), but for the longest time, since my schooldays in fact, I was affected by its colourful, turbulent history.

Growing up, I had read voraciously about this vast, mysterious continent called Africa. I was engrossed by the stories of Baden Powell and Mafeking, the stately Masais and their cattle, the mighty warrior nation of the Zulus, Ian Smith and his Rhodesia, the Boers with their Orange Free State and their Great Trek.....

And then there were all those amazing accounts and visions of Africa's inexplicable natural beauty; Victoria Falls, Zambezi River, The Great Nile, Table Mountain, Kilimanjaro, Serengeti....

If the Africa of my childhood was synonymous with wilderness and vast open spaces, and an amazing diversity of cultures, the next phase of my fascination was more sobering; I tried but couldn't comprehend this despicable system called apartheid.

Why must these proud, independent black people be enslaved in a land that was rightfully theirs, and made to suffer the indignity of segregation, by invading white colonialists, according to the colour of their skin?

Nelson Mandela and Steve Biko became my (and the world's too) symbols of freedom; my heart cried alongside theirs. I can still recall the advisory stamped on our Malaysian travel document then: "This passport is valid for all countries except Israel and South Africa."

I cheered with the rest of the world when apartheid was finally dismantled. South Africa had finally come into its own; it had arrived. The road to recovery was understandably long and difficult but it was free once again.

For the past two days, my family had hosted five delightful people of Cape Malay origin whose forefathers came from our shores. They represent the modern face of South Africa - young, well-educated and worldly - and they wormed their way straight into our hearts.

Looking back in history, the colonization of Africa and Asia by European powers from the 15th to the 19th centuries led to the enslavement of millions of Afro-Asian peoples, and an international slave trade.

This slave trade led to the involuntary migration of large numbers of Africans and Asians to different parts of the world. It was one such stream of people, most of whom were political exiles or prisoners who had opposed the colonization of their countries, that came to the Cape of Good Hope (now the city of Cape Town).

The first such migrants began to arrive in the latter half of the 17th century, mainly from colonies occupied by the Dutch and the British.

The large majority were Muslims, who were captured and sent into exile from colonies such as Ceylon, Madagascar, India and the Dutch East Indies (Indonesia as we know it today).

The origins of this migration can be traced to early in the 16th century when, at the end of Indonesia's Majapahit Kingdom, European military penetration and anti-Islamic persecution caused resistance.

The Dutch crushed that resistance and exiled many opponents to the Cape of Good Hope in southern Africa, which was also occupied by the Dutch.

The first Dutch settlers in the Cape of Good Hope arrived in 1652, when Jan van Riebeeck came to the Cape to establish a trading post and supply fort in the Cape of Good Hope. The Cape thus became a regular stopover for trading vessels plying the Europe-East Indies route.

The Dutch therefore required labour and utilised the opportunity to import political exiles from the East Indies as slaves. Many of these people were skilled artisans, such as silversmiths, masons, milliners, cobblers, singers and tailors.

They came to be known collectively as Cape Malay, since despite their diverse origins as far afield as East Africa and Malaysia, they all spoke Malay, the traders' lingua franca.

Omar is in the oil and gas industry. His paternal roots lie in Ipoh and he is mighty proud of his Malaysian link, no matter how distant. He knew no one in Ipoh, but that didn't matter. When he visited Malaysia, he felt like coming home.

Omar's South African lineage had been established since 300 years ago when a great great great grandfather was enslaved and forcibly taken to Cape of Good Hope, where he married a woman of Javanese descent.

Listening to Omar was refreshing. To him. there was nothing not to like about Malaysia; He had been here 13 times and counting. He loved it here and he hoped to one day make it his second home.

They kept thanking us for our hospitality but truth be told I think it's us who must thank them for reminding us how fortunate we are to live in this blessed land of peace and harmony.

We need to be occasionally reminded, by the likes of Omar and his ilk, of the beauty of the word 'Syukur Alhamdulillah.'


PS: It was such a strange coincidence that after we sent them back to their hotel last night, we got home and switched on the TV to one of the movie channels on Astro, and found it screening "Cry Freedom", that powerful 1987 British drama by Richard Attenborough, about apartheid. Truly a fitting end to an eventful evening spent with a bunch of beautiful people. Syukran, folks!

Eid Wishes

Kama sekeluarga mengambil kesempatan ini untuk mengucapkan "Selamat Hari Raya Idul Adha" kepada semua pembaca 'Kata Kama' yang beragama Islam. Semoga kalian sentiasa berada di dalam perlindungan Allah swt.

Go Break A Reg!

Any volunteers? Only for the miserable ones; leave the happy corpses alone, y'hear?

Now, where's that put place for small piece baggage...

Those not rinsing teapots are allowed to stand normally..(pssst.. and keep those bottoms hot, bebeh!)

And if the drink doesn't arrive after one minute, try beating your chest while wailing..

Hot on the heels of "Sleepless In Seattle"...


By the way, the punch is free...



Ooooh, I love being knocked.. but not by a fairy please...

Finally, a juice for every whore in town!

Ooooh, the things they do to please customers! (Psst.. what's the ticket good for?)

Yeah! Go break a reg! It may be your rucky day!

This manicure set is NOT for the faint-hearted...

Thank you, thank you.. I'll try to make my future comes happy..

They are really big on recycling, these Japs, aren't they?

Yo mah man Brian!, You sure got the moves....!

Welcome to Club Laid.. we're waaayy above Club Lucky!

Gorillas and apes this way, please..

But don't forget to wash.. it's free!

For sure, exitness is not far away..

Wowee! An enlarged joy for delightful penetrate! This better be good...!

Normal flights to the right please...

Beef Stew To Go

Stews are among the easiest and fastest of dishes to make, provided you have all the ingredients at hand, of course. It takes only about 30 minutes from the start to your dining table.

Stews are also delicious and nutritious, with the right balance of meat, vegetables and herbs. You can have them with either plain or buttered rice, or french loaf (lightly toasted), or even with your usual white/wholemeal bread.

And if you are a reluctant cook like me, who dons the apron out of necessity, stews are the sort of food you would embrace wholeheartedly because it is fuss-free and can be prepared in a jiffy.

This beef stew recipe comes from Yani a.k.a. Kitchen Guardian, the legal counsel-blogger who, by her own admission, is more at home in the kitchen than the courtroom. Yani bakes and her creations are to die for.

We had this for lunch today. I made it because the household is unwell, thus rice is out of the question. We had it with bread; it was filling, a satisfying meal indeed.

Ingredients:

300gms beef tenderloin, cubed
2 large onions, diced
5 clove garlic, diced
1 inch ginger, finely sliced
1 large russet potato, diced
1 large carrot, diced
1 leek (optional), diced
1 can diced stewed tomatoes
2 sprigs of rosemary
1 cube of beef stock
2 tablespoonfuls worcestershire sauce (can substitute with thick soy sauce)
cooking oil
salt to taste

Method:

Heat oil, lightly fry cubed beef till brown, set aside.

Saute onions, garlic and ginger till brown. Add the rest of the ingredients, pour in one litre of water and toss in one cube of beef stock. Simmer until beef is tender and the gravy thickens. Add salt to taste.

PS: Let me know the outcome if you decide to try out the recipe. Happy 'stewing'!

Zainul's Viewpoints...

The article below, written by an old friend and former colleague, Datuk Zainul Arifin Mohammed Isa, now Group Managing Editor of the New Straits Times Group, appeared in his column "Viewpoints', New Sunday Times, 14 Nov 2010.

I share Zainul's sentiment. As a former journalist, I can't help but feel disappointed by what I see as a knee jerk reaction from a group that unashamedly rides on the 'freedom of the press' wave. As it stands, these are the people to whom 'cakap tak serupa bikin" is a perfect fit.

Media ban is not the way to go

The ban by the Kedah government on selective media outlets suggests that, for some, a free press is good only when they do not become the subject of scrutiny.

The government of Datuk Seri Azizan Abdul Razak issued the directive on Thursday to several print and electronic media outlets, including this newspaper, telling them they are no longer welcome to state events for being guilty of manipulation of news and coverage directed against Kedah.

This followed Azizan's reprimand of journalists earlier in the week at a press conference after a state executive council meeting.

His beef is related to reports of the state government, as opposed to the federal, handling of the recent floods, that were not flattering of the former, and Azizan's stewardship.

The fact that the state is controlled by Pas, a member of the opposition coalition at the federal level, gave such reports, unfortunately, a political flavour.

Now, we are not sure if politics was on top of the minds of those who found themselves wading in water, but due to our ever-politicised environment, the tendency to politicise everything is presumably a given.

Azizan may or may not have an axe to grind but the fact is, the reports were not made up. There were complaints from people who had furniture floating in their living rooms. We, in the media, should not assume the politics of complainants, or their agenda, when reporting.

Kedah is the second state in the Pakatan Rakyat coalition that had issued bans on selective media outlets. This newspaper, and several others, are still persona non grata in functions or events attended by the chief minister of Penang.

As such, I sincerely believe the parties that make up the coalition should just take out freedom of the press from their manifesto and not bother to repeat it when stumping for votes since they do not seem to believe in it.

Backpedalling on such an important campaign promise just because they are unhappy with how some media outlets report them looks bad. So, only have people who write good things about you to be around? Is it not sycophantic toadying?

Motherhood statement, such as championing free press, will get you popular support, since who would not want one? But a free press is like medicine or medical treatment. It is not often nice but you have to go through it just so you would be better. If you are selective in the treatment, it would not have the desired effect.

Worse still, people can see through you. A free press will be a boon, and one must remember also, a bane.

The directives in Kedah and Penang are not isolated. Intolerance towards the media is not uncommon among advocates of the free media. There have been instances when reporters and editors are harangued in public when faced with questions they do not like. Some do out of annoyance of pesky reporters while some others use it to distract from the hard questions, deflecting them by choosing to blame the messenger for the mess he is in.

Some of the most vocal champions of the free press and the ones lamenting on the state of the media environment have been the most abusive of reporters and media outlets when they are back in the thick of controversies.

Having said that, it is, of course, the right of anyone, including politicians, to do what he wants as far as his interaction with the media is concerned - whom he meets and talks to and which organisation he should be seen in.

This is especially true if they feel that they have been wronged, which must be the case involving the chief ministers of Kedah and Penang.

I cannot blame them if they are angry but it does them no good to be barring media outlets, no matter how much, in their opinion, they have been wronged.

Tolerance of the media, I must say, must not be selective, especially when one is propagating a freer media environment. it is like pregnancy; you cannot be selectively pregnant.

In my years in journalism, I have found that many who claimed to be working on the principle of free press would not have any qualms calling for the suppression of news on them. They would talk from the other side of their mouth and would implore that their cases are different and, as such, not be given the publicity. There are individuals on the stump championing openness, yet would call editors and reporters to get stories snuffed.

It is natural, I suppose, wanting to look good.

Making promises and living up to them are two different things. Similarly, wanting changes and making them are different, too.

The ban on selective media is actually a slap to public opinion, as well as public intelligence. We are assuming that the public is not smart enough to see and be able to distinguish between fact and fiction.

Yet, never has the landscape of the media been so much alive and varied, too. For example, the Internet has turned the media industry on its head. Newspapers offering their fare for free online are also their own major competitors these days.

Some people mention with pride, and disdain, that they have not bought a newspaper in a long time or that they have no reason to do so with the Internet. They talk of their lives being so much better now without having to read the lies and propaganda of the newspapers.

To this, I say more power to them. To each his own.

As newspaper companies, we have to win over the public to read our products, to vote with their wallets daily, if you like, whether we are worthy of their effort. We are subjected to the numbers' game and if our numbers slacken, our business will be affected.

The total readership of newspapers in the country runs into the millions, hence how could any media manipulate the facts when there are many news outlets? Some of them are free of charge as well as "freer" to report what they like. This would be a quick recipe for disaster for newspapers, would it not?

Apart from that, there are party organs given away or sold widely that it makes no sense for the media - of either left- or right-leaning, or undecided - to start telling lies.

We, in the media, need to keep to our relevance or else we would make ourselves redundant.

Often times, it is always people who call for openness who will likely be intolerable to others' ideas and opinions. Like they say, so-called liberals are the most resistant and intolerant of others' point of view.

Similarly, I believe parties who cannot subscribe to the idea of a free press should not try to gain political mileage by promoting something they do not believe in.

-ends-

Ashy's Pussies

Lillie & Awang Jules, darlings of the Abus.. now all grown..

Gems from 'Peanuts'

Following is the philosophy of Charles Schultz, creator of the "Peanuts" comic strip. You don't have to actually answer the questions. Just read straight through, and you'll get the point.

1. Name the five wealthiest people in the world.
2. Name the last five Heisman trophy winners.
3. Name the last five winners of the Miss America Contest.
4. Name ten people who have won the Nobel or Pulitzer Prize.
5. Name the last few Academy Award winners for best actor/actress.
6. Name the last decade's worth of World Series winners.

How did you do? The point is, none of us remember the headliners of yesterday. They are not second-rate achievers. They are the best in their fields. But the applause dies. Awards tarnish. Achievements are forgotten. Accolades and certificates are buried with their owners.


Here's another quiz. See how you do on this one:

1. List a few teachers who aided your journey through school...
2. Name three friends who have helped you through a difficult time.
3. Name five people who have taught you something worthwhile.
4. Think of a few people who've made you feel appreciated & special.
5. Think of five people you enjoy spending time with.



Easier, don't you think? So here's the lesson: The people who make a difference in your life are NOT the ones with the most credentials, the most money, or the most awards. They are the ones who care.

Katakan "Tak Nak!"

Semasa going through akhbar-akhbar harian pagi tadi, saya terpandang salah satu iklan dalam siri kempen anti-merokok anjuran Kementerian Kesihatan Malaysia, yang isi kandungannya menarik perhatian saya.

Kempen Tak Nak! ini kalau tak silap dah berjalan lima tahun lamanya. Sungguhpun begitu, keberkesanannya saya tidak pasti. Mungkin juga jumlah perokok telah berkurangan, wallahu'alam.

Apapun, ini content iklan tersebut; ia mengandungi beberapa fakta menarik yang amat baik untuk kita hayati bersama.

Saya menulis sebagai seorang ex-smoker, yang hanya berhenti merokok lima tahun yang lalu setelah menjadi perokok tegar selama 32 tahun.

Dalam keadaan sekarang, amat baik kalau buang aja tabiat yang tidak membawa apa-apa faedah ini, demi kesihatan badan dan kesejahteraan poket.

Rokok dah hampir RM10 sepeket sekarang, folks. Berat nak tanggung tuh; kalau sepeket sehari dah dekat RM300 sebulan. Bayangkan 'bakar' duit buta-buta setiap bulan..

BETULKAH PEROKOK JUGA ADA HAK?

YA! HAK UNTUK MENGETAHUI HAKIKAT SEBENAR DI SEBALIK HARGA SEBATANG ROKOK

Dengan membayar 50 sen untuk sebatang rokok, anda sebenarnya membelanjakan:

- 24 sen untuk cukai hasil tembakau
- 14 sen untuk keuntungan pengilang rokok
- 5 sen untuk peruncit
- 1 sen untuk keuntungan pemborong/pengedar rokok
- 1 sen untuk dinikmati penanam/pengawit tembakau

Nilai sebenar sebatang rokok hanyalah 5 sen!

Setiap rokok yang dihisap, anda sebenarnya menghadiahkan diri dengan:

- 20 kali lebih risiko kanser paru-paru
- 10 kali lebih nacaman penyakit paru-paru
- 10 kali lebih padah saluran darah tersumbat
- 4 kali lebih ancaman serangan jantung
- 2 kali lebih risiko serangan strok
- 50% risiko kematian akibat tabiat merokok

Paling utama, anda juga sebenarnya menghadiahkan penderitaan kepada orang yang selama ini menyayangi anda.

BERHENTI SEBELUM TERLAMBAT!

"Jerat' by Harvey Malaiholo

15 Reasons Why You MUST Learn Proper English

The mind boggles! Majora or minora notwithstanding, this one's gonna pack a real punch!

No, you're not!

It's a bird! It's a plane! Noooo, it's Sperman! [.. and he's loaded and ready to launch!]

Never join the stage.. the chewing gum may get stage fright..

Run for your life! The crazy freezer's heading your way!

Be very,very afraid of crafty slipperies (whatever they are)..!

Not only ve spik Inglish, ve hef vays tu mek yu tok too ....!

Don't touch yourself, let us touch you.. it's more fun that way!

Now now.. if you fist me, I'll hit your thang, and that's a promise!

Obviously some had done it with shoes on..

.... and here it is, a tourist information centre that goes a-wandering, up the stairs and through a passage, looking for something! A map, perhaps?

Give me a 100% beef and apprehended male anytime... [psstt, I'll take apprehended mutton male too, but no detained chicken male please..]

Over to you readers. I can't for the life of me figure this out..

.. and if you go fartherer than the 2 spots farthest, you'll drown (in confusion..)

Start exchanging (life history?)..... the boat is about to break! Oh no! The boat is selecting channel now.. National Geographic??