World Book Day at Popular

In conjunction with the World Book Day, POPULAR is organizing a nationwide promotion with the following offers from 17-30 April 2009:

1) FREE* Exclusive Memo Pad with minimum purchase of RM60 for POPULAR Card members & RM80 for non-members in a single receipt. Strictly while stocks last.

2) Selected English Book titles rebate up to 20%.

3) Selected Chinese Book titles, Members rebate 20% & Non-member rebate 10%.

4) Selected CD-Rama items offered at special prices.

5) Selected Stationery items, Members rebate 30% & Non-member rebate 10%.

Win a free holiday with your photo

Join the LET'S GO NO! photo contest to win a Malaysia Airlines holiday package to international destinations. That's not all, MasterCard credit cardholders get RM1,500 cash credit to spend.

All we need to do to win the free holidays just by submitting our favourite travel photos according to the themes set. The photo we sent if garner the most votes, we will on our way to win an all expenses-paid trip. The contest involves 6 contest cycles, with each cycle running for 3 weeks. There will be different destination themes for every cycle.

The 1st theme kicking off is the Quick Getaways ASEAN, which will highlight destinations within the ASEAN region.

All you need are just two things:
1. An interesting photo that fits this week’s theme.
2. A bit of wit to write an interesting caption in less than 50 words.

PRIZES

• Wave 1 four (4) days three (3) nights holiday package for two (2) to Bangkok
• Wave 2 five (5) days four (4) nights holiday package for two (2) to Perth
• Wave 3 five (5) days four (4) nights holiday package for two (2) to Delhi
• Wave 4 five (5) days four (4) nights holiday package for two (2) to Beijing
• Wave 5 six (6) days four (4) nights holiday package for two (2) to London
• Wave 6 six (6) days four (4) nights holiday package for two (2) to Rome

Any winner will also be eligible for RM1,500.00 cash credit if they are a MasterCard credit card holder. If the winner had purchased Malaysia Airlines’ product in the last twelve Airlines’ months’ in the sum exceeding RM1,000.00, the cash credit will be doubled to RM3,000.00 The winner is required to submit documentary proof in the form of monthly statement or transaction slip.

The prize for each wave includes:

1. Return airfare on Economy Class on Malaysia Airlines for [2] person(s)
2. Hotel accommodation with daily breakfast for [2] person(s) on twin sharing basis. Hotel selection will be done at Malaysia Airlines’ discretion.
3. Return airport transfer at Malaysia Airlines’ discretion.
4. Airport taxes, insurance, fuel surcharges will be borne by Malaysia Airlines.
5. Excess baggage charges or any airport user fees which may be applicable at the specific destinations will be borne by the passengers.
6. The package is valid for six (6) months from the date of announcement of the winner in The Star newspaper.
7. The package cannot be exchanged or sold for cash and is non-transferable to another person.
8. The prizes cannot be utilized during public holidays, school holidays and hotel or airlines’ blackout dates. Actual dates for travel will be duly confirmed by Malaysia based on availability.

For more detail info, click here

Najib's Cabinet

Datuk Seri Najib Razak announced his Cabinet of 28 ministers today, with many faces retained and Sabah emerging big winners with four members given senior portfolios.

Toyota Prius is coming to town

UMW Toyota Motor Sdn Bhd will launch its latest eco-car, the Toyota Prius by the second quarter of this year, as part of its commitment to be at the forefront of environment technology in the automotive industry.

The Eco-car is a hybrid synergy drive vehicle which is environmental friendly.

Dietary Guidelines for Healthy Adults

Current Dietary Requirements for Healty Adults

1. Meet the requirement for energy and all essential nutrients
2. Reduce the intake of fat - especially saturated fat
3. Increase the intake of non-starch polysaccharide (dietary fibre)
4. Reduce the intake of sugar
5. Reduce the intake of salt
6. Avoid excessive intake of alcohol
7. Maintain ideal body weight

Dietary Changes to Help Achieve Current Guidelines for Fat Intake

1. Reduce the intake of butter and margarine or replace with a low fat spread. Both margarine and butter have exactly the same fat content. Using a margarine that is high in polyunsaturates will reduce the intake of saturated fat, but not of total fat. Low fat spreads contain half the fat of margarine and butter.
2. Reduce the intake of fried foods. Choose an oil low in saturated fat, such as sunflower, corn, olive or soya.
3. Limit the intake of chocolate, cakes, biscuits, crisps and pastries as much as possible.
4. Reduce the consumption of fatty meat and avoid sausages, bacon, beef burgers and meat pies as much as possible. Always choose the leanest cuts of meat and trim of excess fats. Poultry may be substituted for meat but the skin should be removed - chicken with the skin contains about twice as much fat on a g/100, basis as lean roast lamb or pork.
5. Increase the intake of white fish. White fish has a negligible fat content unless it is fried in breadcrumbs. Fatty fish such as mackerel, herring and sardine contains as much fat as red meat, but is rich in the n-3 polyunsaturates and can be recommended as a replacement for meat.
6. Use skimmed or semi-skimmed milk as a matter of course. These both contain the same amount of protein and calcium as whole milk.
7. Reduce intake of hard cheese. Edam, Brie, Camembert and Feta cheese contain less fat than hard cheeses, such as Cheshire and Cheddar. Reduced-fat varieties of both hard and soft cheese are now available and contain about half the fat of the normal varieties. Cottage cheese and "fromage frais" are much lower in fat than hard cheeses.
8. Cream, or products containing it, should only be consumed very occasionally. Avoid double cream as much as possible. Imitation creams often contain as much fat as fresh creams. Yoghurt may be used as an alternative.

Dietary Change to Help Achieve the Recommended Requirements of Non-Starch Polysaccharide (NSP or Dietary Fibre)

1. Change to a breakfast cereal high in NSP. They are usually labelled "high fibre" but the content of NSP should always be checked on the package label.
2. Change to a wholegrain bread. There are wholemeal varieties of chapatti, nan and pitta bread.
3. Use wholemeal flour in baking or half white and half wholemeal flour.
4. Eat wholemeal rather than white pasta. Try to eat pasta, rice or potatoes once a day.
5. Eat peas, beans or lentils at least three times a week. Pulses can be used as occasional replacements for meat.Eat at least five servings of fresh vegetables and fruit everyday.

6 Ways to Cut-Down Your Sugar

1. Avoid adding sugar to drinks and breakfast cereals.
2. Choose low calorie canned drinks.
3. Choose tinned fruit in juice rather than syrup.
4. Reduce the amount of sugar in recipes where possible.
5. Avoid sugar coated breakfast cereals - check labels for sugar content.
6. Reduce the intake of sweets, chocolates, cakes and sweet biscuits as much as possible.

AirAsia present RM10,000 weekly cash prizes

Airasia is giving away cash prizes worth RM10,000 or S$5,000 weekly for it customers residing in both Malaysia and Singapore for travel via AirAsia and AirAsia X.

In a statement, AirAsia said those who book seats at www.airasia.com or mobile.airasia.com from between April 6-26 this year for travel between May 5 this year and July 31, 2010, stand a chance of winning the cash prizes.

According to AirAsia, a condition is that the booking must be made in Malaysian ringgit or Singapore dollar. A lucky winner will then be randomly selected by the system every week to receive the cash prize, it added.

Its regional head of commercial, Kathleen Tan said the cash prizes are a special reward for customers who have been supporting AirAsia and enabling it to receive the World's Best Low Cost Airline award from Skytrax.

AirAsia will award three winners from April 6- 26. The first weekly winner will be announced on April 13 with the second and third on April 20 and 27 respectively. The winners will be announced online at www.airasia.com. – Bernama

Beware of calls, sms for banking info

Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) has warned members of the public to be vigilant when receiving calls or short messaging services (SMS), requesting for personal banking information.

The callers and SMS often claim to be from the central bank or other commercial banks.

BNM in a statement today said that there is no department called “Unit Kad Kredit Palsu” within it, nor does it have the telephone number, 8659-XXXX.

BNM also stated that it never requests’ for personal banking information through the SMS or telephone calls.

BNM said that based on recent complaints received, there had been an increase in incidents of fraudsters making such calls and SMS to unknowing members of the public to fraudulently obtain their personal banking information, with the aim of siphoning monies from accounts.

The sixth PM

So it is done. We Malaysian today have observed a newly minted sixth Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak taking the helm from Abdullah Badawi. At the same time, Abdullah and Jeanne were conferred the nation's highest award, the Seri Maharaja Mangku Negara (SMN), which carries the title "Tun", by Tuanku Mizan.

Unlike Obama, our new PM stands out greatly being watch under the microscope on what can he do from now as well as what some people claimed he had done before this. Most interestingly, a lot wants to know the latter.

Personally, for a promoted general which have not fight a battle along his ways be given a task to handle a war is somewhat not giving the needed confident to his people. Sad to say, the general got too much baggage to allow him to shine. Worst, he is not the favourable one but then who can hold the post. The previous PM started with much hope and expectation ended sadly with dissappointments by the rakyat, holding only 5 years premiership.