Ways to Make Saving a Habit

by Andrea Coombes

What's your excuse? When it comes to the sorry state of our finances, we've all got one.
Maybe your raise at work never materialized, or you charged that unexpected car-repair bill -- or that plasma TV -- to your credit card. Whatever the reason, for many of us, personal balance sheets could look better. Half of U.S. workers report less than $25,000 in savings.
Even if you've saved more, is it enough to sustain you through a decades-long retirement?
Sure, plenty of consumers now are easing back on spending, thanks to sticker shock at the grocery store and gas station. But soon enough retailers and restaurants will be pushing hard-to-resist "recession deals" -- will you be able to restrain yourself? And, what happens to your budget-minded ways when the economy recovers?
It's time to shake off the "consumer" mantle that politicians and economists are so happy to drape around our shoulders. Resist their calls for consumers to save the economy, and resist the advertisements enveloping us in the idea that we need more and more things.
The only thing most of us need more of is financial security. A lot more.
How to get there? Think thrift. For some, it's a familiar idea. For others, thrift implies denial and deprivation, and that makes for a tough call-to-arms.
So, how to save money without scrimping, be thrifty without feeling miserly -- and maintain those habits after our economy picks up speed?
It won't be easy. Expect discomfort, says Kathleen Gurney, a psychologist and chief executive of Financial Psychology Corp. Keep going, even when it's uncomfortable -- the rewards are worth it, and once this economic slowdown ends, you'll have financial habits in place to support you for a lifetime.
1. Spend less time feeling poor. Flipping through catalogs and going to the mall will make you feel like you need things, Ms. Gurney notes. Sure, you can afford some of that stuff, but the main message is: Most of this is out of your reach. Instead, do things that offer a sense of well-being. Invite friends over. Walk in the park.
2. Retrain your brain. Depriving ourselves of current pleasure is nigh impossible if we're not driven by a sense that the future will be more fulfilling, says Ms. Gurney. When you start to feel that "I'm deserving so I'm buying" feeling, visualize a smaller credit-card bill or higher savings-account balance.
3. Look around you. Are you happy with what your hard-earned dollars bought? If not, shift your spending to those things that bring greater long-term satisfaction, including retirement savings.
4. Choose your extravagances. Here is mine: I eat out about once a week. An extravagance I do without: Cable television.
5. Assess weaknesses. "If you were thrifty, how would you look different?" says Gary Buffone, a financial psychologist in Jacksonville, Fla. Identify what you want to change; then shoot for specific targets, such as a six-month hold on buying new tech gadgets.
6. Make trade-offs. Substitute small, free pleasures for those that cost. Have a movie night at home with friends -- you'd be surprised how many people are equally eager to cut costs.
7. Set goals. Meet weekly with family to discuss the spending plan (don't call it a budget) for the months and years ahead. This may involve tough choices, such as forsaking a family vacation. But think of the guilt-free trip you can take after saving the necessary cash. Good memories last longer, Ms. Gurney notes, when not trammeled by large credit-card bills.
8. Resist your children. They're going to find it hard to change their expectations. How can you help? Stand firm. The next time they clamor for the latest videogame, remind them of the bigger prize (that family vacation), and tell them their choices here and now are, say, a picnic or a movie rental. Offer options, but don't give in to their push for more consumer goods.
9. Enlist other people. Many people are reticent to talk about money worries, but almost everyone has them, so open up and tap your allies. Hold a contest with friends to see who can save the most in a month, or agree with your spouse to talk before spending more than $100, Mr. Buffone suggests.
10. Post it. Remind yourself by putting post-it notes on your wallet, mirror or steering wheel with the mantra of your choosing: "I want to go to Hawaii in January." "I want to pay off credit-card debt."
11. Automate it. Divert money monthly from your checking account to savings. It will force you to budget, based on what's left in your checking account.
12. Rethink rewards. What are some of your happiest memories? Those are the true rewards. Next time you're about to buy something because you deserve it, ask yourself whether there isn't something you deserve more, such as time at home cooking with your teenager, or a stroll with your husband or best friend.
"We've been conditioned to think that spending the money on clothes, at a restaurant, is going to be the reward," Ms. Gurney says. "But what is the ultimate reward that we want from working hard, in the end?"
Copyrighted, Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All rights reserve

Two lose RM50,000 in mega Internet jackpot scam

By NELSON BENJAMIN

JOHOR BARU: An assistant director with a government agency and an executive at a private company have lost more than RM50,000 after falling for an Internet scam luring victims with false mega jackpot wins worth millions of ringgit.

So, the next time you get an e-mail claiming you have won £500,000 (RM2.7mil) jackpot, just ignore or delete it.

A check with the British High Com­mission showed such scams had been happening for several years.

In an online statement, the high commission said several British as well as Malaysian citizens have re­­ported to them about the scam in­­volving false notification of lottery wins.

The recipients usually receive e-mail from a company in Britain called “International Lotto UK”, notifying them of their success and asking for a “processing free” totalling £5,625 (RM30,500).

The matter has been brought up to the authorities in Britain.

In the latest cases in Johor, an exe­cutive in her 30s, received an e-mail that she had won a £500,000 mega jackpot.

Sources said the woman was ask­ed to deposit more than RM40,000 in several instalments as processing fee for services that included insurance to transfer the mo­­­ney and diplomatic clearance tag.

“The victim only realised it was a scam after she lost contact with the person she was corresponding via e-mail,” sources said.

The sources added that by then, the woman had paid RM40,000 via telegraphic transfer.

The sources added that an assistant director, in his 40s, was duped of more than RM13,000 in a similar scam several weeks ago.

It is learnt the victim only realised he had been duped after syndicate mem­­bers kept asking for more mo­­ney as processing fees.

Subsequently, police arrested a 28 year-old woman in Kuala Lumpur.

The woman is believed to have opened a bank account using another person’s identity.

Police confirmed the arrest of the woman.

They are still tracking down the remaining gang members.

Ibu menyusu bayi kurang risiko serangan jantung

Saintis percaya kesan penyusuan lebih kompleks terhadap kesihatan

WASHINGTON: Wanita yang menyusukan bayi mereka menambah satu lagi faedah kesihatan kerana amalan itu dapat mengurangkan risiko mendapat serangan jantung, sakit jantung atau angin ahmar, kata penyelidik.

Kajian di Amerika Syarikat mendapati wanita yang menyusukan bayi lebih setahun menurunkan risiko mendapat penyakit berkenaan sehingga 10 peratus berbanding mereka yang tidak pernah berbuat demikian.

Malah proses penyusuan selama sekurang-kurangnya sebulan sudah cukup mengurangkan risiko diabetes, tekanan darah tinggi dan kolesterol tinggi.

Penyelidikan itu disiarkan dalam jurnal Obstetrics and Gynaecology. Hasil kajian menambah bukti yang semakin banyak mengenai kebaikan menyusu bagi kedua-dua ibu dan anak.

Ketika menyusu mengurangkan risiko wanita diserang barah ovari, barah payu dara dan osteoporosis pada lewat usia mereka, bayi yang disusukan dengan susu ibu pula dilindungi daripada obesiti, diabetes, asma dan jangkitan telinga, perut dan dada.

Kajian terbaru oleh sepasukan saintis Universiti Pittsburgh memberi tumpuan kepada hampir 140,000 wanita yang sudah menopaus.

Secara purata, sudah 35 tahun sejak wanita berkenaan menyusukan anak buat kali terakhir, menunjukkan faedahnya berkekalan selama beberapa dekad.

Selain mengurangkan risiko masalah jantung, menyusu selama lebih setahun turut menurunkan risiko tekanan darah tinggi sebanyak 12 peratus dan diabetes serta kolesterol tinggi sekitar 20 peratus.

Kajian menunjukkan menyusukan bayi mungkin mengurangkan risiko kardiovaskular dengan menurunkan lemak yang tersimpan dalam tubuh.

Bagaimanapun, penyelidik percaya kesannya lebih kompleks, dengan pembebasan hormon yang dirangsang oleh proses penyusuan turut memainkan peranan.

Salah seorang penyelidik, Dr Eleanor Bimla Schwarz, berkata: "Kita sudah lama tahu kebaikan menyusu untuk bayi dan ibu. Penyusuan ibu adalah cara penting tubuh wanita pulih daripada proses kehamilan.

"Apabila proses ini terganggu, wanita berkemungkinan mendapat masalah kesihatan termasuk serangan jantung dan angin ahmar. � Agensi

Dakwah bil hal pikat Jerald

SUSUNAN SITI AINIZA KAMSARI


DR. Jerald Dirks

SESEORANG yang tidak mempunyai pegangan agama atau tidak menyatakan agama apa yang dianuti dianggap sebagai tidak mempunyai identiti diri. Begitulah pentingnya agama kepada warga Amerika Syarikat, Dr. Jerald Dirks.

Bukan sahaja atas nama identiti, agama kepada Jerald turut bermakna mesti dipertahankan dan disebarkan kepada orang lain!

Namun bagaimana beliau yang merupakan seorang penganut Kristian yang sangat taat, akhirnya tunduk kepada Islam?

Ini berlaku pada tahun 1993, Jerald akhirnya memeluk Islam. Nama Abu Yahya dipilih untuk menyerlahkan lagi identiti agama yang beliau baru anuti itu.

Jika ditelusuri kehidupan lampau beliau, kita mendapati Jerald adalah 'umat' Kristian terbaik yang pernah ditemui.

"Pada lewat 1950-an, dengan tiga buah gereja terdapat di pekan kelahiran saya, menjadikan seluruh penduduk begitu kuat berpegang kepada agama itu," katanya.

Beliau melakukan pelbagai aktiviti untuk gereja milik keluarganya, Gereja Methodist. Jerald tidak pernah gagal menghadiri sebarang upacara sembahyang sehingga pernah dianugerahkan pelbagai trofi kejuaraan kerana kehadiran penuh dan berjaya menghafal ayat-ayat dari Bible.

Pada usia 17 tahun, ketika memasuki Kolej Harvard atas nama cintakan agamanya, dia memilih kursus yang membolehkannya menjadi paderi bertauliah.

Ini termasuk keperluan kursus Perbandingan Agama yang membolehkan buat pertama kalinya Jerald mengenali Islam. Kursus itu diajar oleh seorang pensyarah iaitu Wilfred Cantwell Smith, yang mempunyai kepakaran dalam pengajian agama itu.

Bagaimanapun, Jerald tidak begitu memberi tumpuan terhadap pengajian Islam berbanding minat yang tinggi terhadap pengajian agama Hindu dan Buddha.

Hollis Scholar

Atas kesungguhannya, kalangan warga Harvard menggelarkan beliau Hollis Scholar.

Tamat pengajian, beliau menyambung pengajian tinggi di Harvard Divinity School atas tajaan Biasiswa Stewart iaitu sumbangan dari pihak gereja bagi membolehkan beliau beroleh Ijazah Master of Divinity pada tahun 1974.

Sebaik sahaja tamat pengajian, Jerald terus dihantar bertugas sebagai paderi di dua buah Gereja United Methodist. Sekali gus di kawasan pedalaman Kansas yang menyaksikan semakin ramai kembali mengunjungi gereja berbanding keadaan yang sebelumnya.

Semua ini 'berkat' kesungguhan Jerald sebagai seorang paderi yang berwibawa.

Dengan latar belakang pendidikan dan prestasi kerjaya yang sebaik itu tentunya Jerald seorang yang tidak lagi dalam pencarian. Sebabnya, segala-galanya kini telah terjawab dan tidak mungkin iman akan tergugat dengan apa juga gejala yang melanda.

"Tetapi mungkin secara luaran saya dilihat begitu tetapi jauh di sudut hati, saya sebenarnya berperang!" ujarnya.

Walaupun sudah semakin jauh dan begitu mengenali agama sendiri, namun beliau akhirnya menyedari beberapa aspek yang tidak kena dengan agama asalnya.

Antaranya 'Keaslian Bacaan' daripada pelbagai teks-teks kitab Bible, konsep triniti yang sentiasa mengalami evolusi sebagai 'Tuhan Yang Satu' namun tetap meletakkan Nabi Isa itu sebagai tuhan.

Mengenali Islam

Ketika inilah, buat pertama kalinya, beliau dan isterinya mula mengenali Islam yang kebetulan mereka berdua sedang membuat kajian mengenai sejarah Kuda-kuda Arab. Matlamat utama kajian itu untuk menyelamatkan dokumen-dokumen atau naskhah-naskhah sejarah Arab lama.

Tugas itu memerlukan beliau mendapat pertolongan kalangan bangsa Arab, terutama untuk menterjemahkan teks-teks berbahasa Arab dan memberi panduan mengenai sejarah kuda serta Arab itu sendiri.

Seorang berbangsa Arab bernama Jamal akhirnya menawarkan diri membantu mereka dengan hadir ke rumah Jerald hampir setiap hari.

Selain membantu Jerald, Jamal melakukan dakwah secara halus yang berjaya menyentuh hati Jerald yang mula kagum dengan cara hidup yang ditunjukkan oleh Jamal.

Ini kerana sebelum pulang, Jamal akan meminta kebenaran mengambil air sembahyang diikuti meminta hanya sehelai kertas sebagai alas atau sejadah. Jamal kemudiannya solat tanpa sebarang ragu dan janggal walaupun di dalam sebuah rumah milik seorang paderi Kristian.

"Tanpa kami sedari bahawa Jamal sebenarnya sedang menunjukkan satu bentuk dakwah yang sangat cantik yang menyebabkan hati kami begitu tertarik," katanya.

Jamal benar-benar menjayakan konsep dakwah bil hal (dengan contoh) dengan tidak pernah mengambil kesempatan untuk bercerita mengenai Islam. Jauh sekali untuk memaksa Dr Jerald dan isterinya memeluk Islam, walaupun peluang itu ada untuk Jamal berbuat demikian.

"Banyak yang saya belajar dari Jamal yang tidak pernah cuai mendirikan solat, sampai masa dan waktunya dia akan segera solat tetapi itupun dengan terlebih dahulu meminta kebenaran dari saya sebagai tuan rumah," katanya.

Jerald suami isteri benar-benar tertarik dengan cara Jamal mengendalikan kehidupannya baik untuk soal kerja dan cara beliau bersosial. Malah cara Jamal mendidik anak-anaknya juga amat menarik perhatian keluarga Kristian ini.

"Jika Jamal memberi penerangan mengenai Islam pun, dia memberitahu dengan begitu profesional tanpa menyelitkan sebarang propaganda mengenai Islam di situ," katanya.

Ini termasuklah Jamal membantu Jerald memahami mengenai sejarah tanah Arab, sejarah Islam, Nabi Muhammad, al-Quran termasuk terjemahan-terjemahan penting daripada kitab itu.

Cantiknya Islam

Sehinggalah Jamal kemudiannya memperkenalkan Jerald dengan beberapa keluarga Arab lain, beliau semakin mengagumi Islam apabila melihatkan cantiknya Islam yang dibawa oleh keluarga-keluarga tersebut.

Pada Disember 1992, Jerald mula memikirkan dengan lebih serius akan kedudukan diri atau lebih tepat agama yang menjadi anutannya.

Ini membuatkan beliau mengkaji semula mengenai Islam terutama melalui al-Quran yang beliau baca dari dua kitab terjemahan.

"Saya tidak pernah memberitahu kepada rakan-rakan Islam pencarian yang saya lakukan secara bersendirian itu.

"Akhirnya, saya dan isteri mengakui bahwa tidak ada apa yang perlu diragukan mengenai Islam. Malah saya juga mula menerima hakikat mengenai kerasulan Nabi Muhammad dan saya dapat menerima sepenuhnya bahawa tuhan yang wajib dipercayai dan disembah hanyalah Allah, tiada yang lain selain dari-Nya!," katanya.

Begitupun beliau masih ragu-ragu untuk membuat keputusan yang pasti kerana merasakan banyak lagi mengenai Islam perlu diketahui.

"Saya cukup sebati dengan Kristian, iaitu hampir 43 tahun lamanya. Jadi untuk menanggalkan label Kristian itu bukan sesuatu yang mudah kerana dengan agama itu juga saya sebenarnya dapat menikmati kehidupan yang selayaknya untuk dinikmati," kata beliau.

Namun Jerald akui bahawa beliau begitu berat untuk meletakkan Kristian sebagai perakuan agama ketika mengisi borang pasport, dokumen untuk memohon perjalanan ke Timur Tengah.

"Saya ketawa bagi melindungi perasaan sebenar saya yang masih begitu bermain sedangkan dari akademik dan logik, saya dapat mengakui Islam," katanya.

Sehinggalah pada suatu hari ketika sedang khusyuk membaca al-Quran terjemahan yang ketiga di sebuah restoran Arab, beliau ditegur oleh Iman, isteri tuan punya restoran itu. Sebabnya, hanya mereka yang memeluk Islam sahaja yang akan membaca al-Quran mahupun terjemahan kitab suci itu.

"Secara spontan saya menjawab, tidak!," kata Jerald. Beliau kemudiannya menyedari telah bersikap kasar lalu menemui semula Iman dan menjelaskan kepadanya.

"Bahawa sekiranya dia bertanya sama ada saya percaya tuhan yang satu, pasti saya menjawab 'ya' dan sekiranya ditanya saya mempercayai Nabi Muhammad, jawapan saya sama, saya percaya kerasulan baginda!," katanya.

Mungkin dengan jawapan Dr Jerald itu sebenarnya beliau telah mengucap dua kalimah syahadah tanpa beliau sedari. Namun beliau masih belum mempunyai kekuatan yang jitu bagi membulatkan sebarang perubahan baru yang akan mengubah seluruh hidupnya dan apatah lagi untuk berhadapan dengan pandangan masyarakat terhadap beliau selama ini.

Begitu pun kunjungan beliau ke Amman, ibu negara Jordan merupakan titik yang menjadi transformasi kepada Jerald dan isterinya.

Ketika melakukan kajian di negara itu, secara tiba-tiba Jerald ditegur oleh seorang rakyat Jordan yang beliau tidak kenali.

Selepas memberi salam kepada Jerald yang hanya mampu menjawab dengan menganggukkan kepala, tidak semena-mena lelaki ini bertanya sama ada beliau seorang Muslim.

"Ketika itu saya-saya benar terperangkap, saya tidak mampu lagi bermain dengan sebarang permainan perkataan yang intelektual untuk menipu kebenaran yang ada.

"Semudah sama ada saya menjawab Na'am (ya) atau La' (tidak). Lalu saya benar-benar membuat satu pilihan apabila saya akhirnya menjawab "Na'am ana Muslim" (ya, saya seorang Muslim)" katanya.

Allahu Akbar! Tuhan Maha Besar!

Sejurus jawapan itu keluar dari mulut Jerald, beliau dapat merasakan seluruh beban kini bagaikan telah jatuh luruh daripada dirinya.

"Saya berasa sungguh ringan dan satu ketenangan yang luar biasa menyelinap masuk ke dalam hati saya.

"Keputusan ini bukan satu kesilapan walaupun saya menyedari pelbagai risiko dan cabaran yang bakal saya hadapi," katanya.

10 Health Habits That Will Help You Live to 100

The biggest factor that determines how well you age is not your genes but how well you live. Not convinced? A new study published in the British Medical Journal of 20,000 British folks shows that you can cut your risk of having a stroke in half by doing the following four things: being active for 30 minutes a day, eating five daily servings of fruit and vegetables, and avoiding cigarettes and excess alcohol.

While those are some of the obvious steps you can take to age well, researchers have discovered that centenarians tend to share certain traits in how they eat, move about, and deal with stress—the sorts of things we can emulate to improve our own aging process. Of course, getting to age 100 is enormously more likely if your parents did. Still, Thomas Perls, who studies the century-plus set at Boston University School of Medicine, believes that assuming you've sidestepped genes for truly fatal diseases like Huntington's, "there's nothing stopping you from living independently well into your 90s." Heck, if your parents and grandparents were heavy smokers, they might have died prematurely without ever reaching their true potential lifespan, so go ahead and shoot for those triple digits by following these 10 habits.

1. Don't retire. "Evidence shows that in societies where people stop working abruptly, the incidence of obesity and chronic disease skyrockets after retirement," says Luigi Ferrucci, director of the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging. The Chianti region of Italy, which has a high percentage of centenarians, has a different take on leisure time. "After people retire from their jobs, they spend most of the day working on their little farm, cultivating grapes or vegetables," he says. "They're never really inactive." Farming isn't for you? Volunteer as a docent at your local art museum or join the Experience Corps, a program offered in 19 cities that places senior volunteers in urban public elementary schools for about 15 hours a week.

2. Floss every day. That may help keep your arteries healthy. A 2008 New York University study showed that daily flossing reduced the amount of gum-disease-causing bacteria in the mouth. This bacteria is thought to enter the bloodstream and trigger inflammation in the arteries, a major risk factor for heart disease. Other research has shown that those who have high amounts of bacteria in their mouth are more likely to have thickening in their arteries, another sign of heart disease. "I really do think people should floss twice a day to get the biggest life expectancy benefits," stresses Perls.

3. Move around. "Exercise is the only real fountain of youth that exists," says Jay Olshansky, a professor of medicine and aging researcher at the University of Illinois at Chicago. "It's like the oil and lube job for your car. You don't have to do it, but your car will definitely run better." Study after study has documented the benefits of exercise to improve your mood, mental acuity, balance, muscle mass, and bones. "And the benefits kick in immediately after your first workout," Olshansky adds. Don't worry if you're not a gym rat. Those who see the biggest payoffs are the ones who go from doing nothing to simply walking around the neighborhood or local mall for about 30 minutes a day. Building muscle with resistance training is also ideal, but yoga classes can give you similar strength-training effects if you're not into weight lifting.

4. Eat a fiber-rich cereal for breakfast. Getting a serving of whole-grains, especially in the morning, appears to help older folks maintain stable blood sugar levels throughout the day, according to a recent study conducted by Ferrucci and his colleagues. "Those who do this have a lower incidence of diabetes, a known accelerator of aging," he says.

5. Get at least six hours of shut-eye. Instead of skimping on sleep to add more hours to your day, get more to add years to your life. "Sleep is one of the most important functions that our body uses to regulate and heal cells," says Ferrucci. "We've calculated that the minimum amount of sleep that older people need to get those healing REM phases is about six hours." Those who reach the century mark make sleep a top priority.

6. Consume whole foods, not supplements. Strong evidence suggests that people who have high blood levels of certain nutrients—selenium, beta-carotene, vitamins C and E—age much better and have a slower rate of cognitive decline. Unfortunately, there's no evidence that taking pills with these nutrients provides those antiaging benefits. "There are more than 200 different carotenoids and 200 different flavonoids in a single tomato," points out Ferrucci, "and these chemicals can all have complex interactions that foster health beyond the single nutrients we know about like lycopene or vitamin C." Avoid nutrient-lacking white foods (breads, flour, sugar) and go for all those colorful fruits and vegetables and dark whole-grain breads and cereals with their host of hidden nutrients.

7. Be less neurotic. It may work for Woody Allen, who infuses his worries with a healthy dose of humor, but the rest of us neurotics may want to find a new way to deal with stress. "We have a new study coming out that shows that centenarians tend not to internalize things or dwell on their troubles," says Perls. "They are great at rolling with the punches." If this inborn trait is hard to overcome, find better ways to manage when you're stressed: Yoga, exercise, meditation, tai chi, or just deep breathing for a few moments are all good. Ruminating, eating chips in front of the TV, binge drinking? Bad, very bad.

8. Live like a Seventh Day Adventist. Americans who define themselves as Seventh Day Adventists have an average life expectancy of 89, about a decade longer than the average American. One of the basic tenets of the religion is that it's important to cherish the body that's on loan from God, which means no smoking, alcohol abuse, or overindulging in sweets. Followers typically stick to a vegetarian diet based on fruits, vegetables, beans, and nuts, and get plenty of exercise. They're also very focused on family and community.

9. Be a creature of habit. Centenarians tend to live by strict routines, says Olshansky, eating the same kind of diet and doing the same kinds of activities their whole lives. Going to bed and waking up at the same time each day is another good habit to keep your body in the steady equilibrium that can be easily disrupted as you get on in years. "Your physiology becomes frailer when you get older," explains Ferrucci, "and it's harder for your body to bounce back if you, say, miss a few hours of sleep one night or drink too much alcohol." This can weaken immune defenses, leaving you more susceptible to circulating flu viruses or bacterial infections.

10. Stay connected. Having regular social contacts with friends and loved ones is key to avoiding depression, which can lead to premature death, something that's particularly prevalent in elderly widows and widowers. Some psychologists even think that one of the biggest benefits elderly folks get from exercise the strong social interactions that come from walking with a buddy or taking a group exercise class. Having a daily connection with a close friend or family member gives older folks the added benefit of having someone watch their back. "They'll tell you if they think your memory is going or if you seem more withdrawn," says Perls, "and they might push you to see a doctor before you recognize that you need to see one yourself."

Woman finds $357,959 cashier's check and returns it

By JOHN ROGERS, Associated Press Writer John Rogers, Associated Press Writer – Wed Apr 8, 4:49 pm ET

LOS ANGELES – As she walked from a post office, Talon Curtis thought she'd found one of those gimmicky sweepstakes offers on the ground that scream something like "$357,959.55" in big bold letters and "This is not a real check" in much smaller type. But just as she was about to do her part for a cleaner planet and deliver the paper from the parking lot to a trash can, she noticed it was a real cashier's check with a real signature.

"I couldn't believe it. I almost passed out," Curtis, who works as a loan negotiator, told The Associated Press on Wednesday. "I have never seen a check that big. Not in my possession, anyway."

She immediately set out to find its rightful recipient, but it was Saturday afternoon and the banks were closing. On Monday, with help from KCAL-TV reporter Dave Malkoff, she located the check's owner, who had arrived at her bank in a panic.

"I think she had walked in at the same time the bank manager called me back," Curtis said. "I could hear her walking up to him. and I could hear all this commotion in the background."

Curtis said she spoke briefly with the woman on the phone about a possible meeting, but Pacific Mercantile Bank instructed her to mail the check to them instead.

Not willing to take a chance on the mail, Curtis delivered it personally. A bank employee confirmed it had arrived.

Curtis said she never thought of keeping the check for herself, and she declined the woman's offer of a reward. Still, she's just a little disappointed.

"I just wanted to see her face," Curtis said, laughing. "I just wanted to let her know that there are honest people left in this world."

Leaving computers on overnight = $2.8 billion a year

Thu Mar 26, 2009 12:13PM EDT

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Admittedly I don't think much about it at all. I leave my laptop running overnight because I know it'll take five minutes or more to get things going in the morning -- not just booting up, but launching the various apps I start the day with, downloading my overnight email, filtering out the spam, and otherwise "getting settled."

But all the power wasted while computers are sitting idle overnight adds up, and one study has finally tried to measure it. The tally: An estimated $2.8 billion wasted on excess energy costs each year in the U.S. alone.

On a CO2 basis, that's 20 million tons of carbon dioxide, about the amount produced by 4 million cars on the road.

The full report is available for download here (scroll down to "PC Energy Report US 2009").

But big numbers like that become almost meaningless in an era of trillion-dollar bailouts, so to put the wasted energy in perspective, the study provides the data in terms you can better understand: If you run a company with 1,000 PCs left on overnight, you can save about $28,000 a year if they are turned off after hours. That's not chump change.

Of course, it's also a fact that your PC will function better if you restart it regularly, and nightly shutdowns can help you avoid having to suddenly reboot in the middle of the day when you'd otherwise be productive. So even though this little laptop, by my math, eats up only about a quarter's worth of power overnight, maybe it's a smart idea -- and ultimately a time-saver, too -- to shut it down after hours after all.

Via USA Today

Survey: A third of children skip breakfast, many are obese

By LOH FOON FONG

KUALA LUMPUR: More than three-quarters of primary school children surveyed in a recent study hardly have vegetables and fruits in their diet.

The children also lead a sedentary life and more than a quarter of them are obese.

These are among the preliminary findings of the “Food habits and physical activity pattern of primary school children in Malaysia” survey.

The survey was carried out on Year One to Year Six pupils throughout the country (except for Malacca and Johor) from August 2007 to December 2008.

Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) Department of Nutrition and Dietetics associate professor Dr Norimah A. Karim said the survey also showed that there was a growing number of rural children who were overweight and in some areas, the situation was worse than in urban areas.

The preliminary findings of the survey also concluded that of the 9,375 pupils interviewed, 2,802 of them did not have breakfast.

Most of them (45%) cited they did not have the time for breakfast, she said.

The other reasons given were: they were not hungry (22%), had no appetite (18%), did not have food (10%) and it was too early (5%).

“Three of 10 Malaysian children skip breakfast every day,” said Dr Norimah, who carried out the research with six other researchers from UKM.

Dr Norimah, who revealed the findings at a scientific conference organised by the Nutrition Society of Malaysia recently, said parents could give children easily prepared food such as fruits, milk and cereal.

The main aim of the study was to produce a nutritional status report on primary school children in Malaysia, which could be used as a reference for relevant agencies to raise public awareness.

The full report of the survey, which covers 13,000 students, including from Malacca and Johor will be announced in August.

This was a follow-up study, conducted between 2001 and 2002. Both were funded by Nestle Malaysia.

Stop ‘cut and paste’ research

By RUBEN SARIO.

KOTA KINABALU: The practice of just downloading information from the internet is among the key reasons in the deterioration of research quality among university students, Higher Education Department director-general Datuk Dr Radin Umar Radin Sohadi said.

He said there was a tendency among university students to limit their research efforts to “cutting and pasting” when they should be doing a lot more in finding facts.

“Research must take on a holistic approach and not simply gleaning something off the internet,” he said when launching information and computer technology facilities at Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) here yesterday.

Dr Radin said such a culture should be stopped as it did not reflect the core values of academic life. On the university intake this year, he said the number of applicants was almost double the number of places available.

Disclosing the figures, he said there were about 130,000 applicants for the 69,000 places at Malaysian public universities this year.

Of the figure, 28,000 were for students with the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia certificates while the balance were for those with Sijil Tinggi Pelajaran Malaysia (STPM) certificates.

Dr Radin said the places offered to STPM certificate holders had increased by 1,000 compared with last year as various universities were offering additional study programmes.

Nigerian woman jailed for online scam

By M. MAGESWARI

KUALA LUMPUR: A Nigerian woman was jailed for a year and three months for attempting to cheat a government officer through e-mail saying he had won a “Microsoft 2008 Anniversary” lucky draw prize of US$1mil (RM3.64mil).

Peace Okotie, 26, a business studies student at a private college here, is said to be the first person to be convicted under the Penal Code for such a scam.

Okotie from Benin, who changed her plea to guilty after a witness testified at her trial earlier, was also slapped with four months’ jail for overstaying in Malaysia after her student pass expired on July 22 last year.

Magistrate Siti Shakirah Mohtarudin, however, ordered the jail terms run concurrently from the date of her arrest on Aug 27.

According to the facts of the case, the probe into the scam started after assistant financial administrator Buang Md Sayuti received an e-mail purportedly from a “Microsoft Internet promotion’’ dated July 14 last year, saying that he was a winner of the lucky draw.

When he checked his e-mail at his office on Aug 19 last year, it stated that the lucky draw was held on July 11 at the Stanford Bridge Stadium in London.

The next day, he received another e-mail saying that he was the fourth winner and would have to pay a processing fee of US$2,750 (RM10,018) to deliver the prize money to his house.

Buang received another e-mail on Aug 25, saying that all processes had been settled and the delivery would be made to him through one Eagle Finance and Courier Company in London.

Okotie claimed to be a representative of the delivery company. Upon her arrival, Buang was asked to pay US$2,550 (RM9,289) to her to enjoy an exemption from any inspections in Malaysia.

On the same day, Buang received a call from Okotie, who introduced herself as Sophia Young, and asked him to meet her to make the payment to get the “item” that was said to be kept at the high commission here.

Okotie gave him three days to settle his payment. She sent him another e-mail the next day, asking for a copy of his identity card and related documents.

Suspecting something amiss, Buang contacted police and arranged a meeting with Okotie at Kuala Lumpur City Centre at 2.45pm on Aug 27.

Shortly later, she was arrested for further investigations.

Pleading for leniency Tuesday, her lawyer B. Renuka said Okotie had been remanded since her arrest and could not afford to pay a hefty fine because she was debt-ridden in her country.

She asked the court to consider Okotie’s status and that she came from a poor family and had a young child to care for.

DPP Azimul Azami Mohd Nor pressed for a deterrent sentence, saying that it was a pre-meditated crime.

IMPACT tangani ancaman jenayah siber

ABDULLAH menandatangani plak selepas melancarkan ibu pejabat IMPACT sambil diperhatikan Najib, Hamadoun dan Pengerusi Pengurusan IMPACT, Mohd Noor Amin (kiri), di Cyberjaya, semalam.

CYBERJAYA: Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi berkata, kerajaan di seluruh dunia perlu bersedia berdepan pelbagai ancaman jenayah siber yang merebak ketika ini.

Perdana Menteri berkata, ancaman jenayah siber boleh memberi kesan buruk terhadap kehidupan sebenar dan kepada aspek ekonomi, politik dan sosial sesebuah negara pada kadar lebih besar.

"Sebagai contoh, jenayah siber yang menyebabkan gangguan bekalan elektrik di seluruh negara atau kejatuhan sistem dagangan kewangan boleh memberi kesan, biarpun terhadap ekonomi yang paling kukuh," katanya berucap pada majlis perasmian ibu pejabat baru International Multilateral Partnership Against Cyber Threats (IMPACT) di sini, petang semalam.

IMPACT adalah usaha sama pertama seumpamanya di dunia antara jabatan awam dan swasta bagi menangani cabaran ancaman siber.

Ibu pejabat baru itu turut menjadi tuan rumah kepada Agenda Sibersekuriti Global, sebuah rangka kerja bagi usaha sama antarabangsa yang ditubuhkan Kesatuan Telekomunikasi Antarabangsa (ITU).

Hadir sama, Timbalan Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Najib Razak; Setiausaha Agung ITU, Hamadoun Toure dan Menteri Sains, Teknologi dan Inovasi, Datuk Dr Maximus Ongkili.

IMPACT adalah ilham Perdana Menteri yang juga Pengerusi Lembaga Penasihat Antarabangsa IMPACT. Lembaga Penasihat Antarabangsa itu yang dianggotai pemimpin dunia daripada pihak industri dan akademik yang selama ini memberi sokongan kepada aktiviti utama IMPACT.

Perdana Menteri berkata, keadaan dunia yang dihubungkan kini amat terdedah kepada ancaman siber yang tidak pernah berlaku selama ini.

Katanya, ramai individu yang yang berniat jahat dan kumpulan yang cenderung mencetuskan ancaman terhadap komuniti dan negara dalam dunia sebenar.

Abdullah berkata, beliau bangga kerana Malaysia menjadi ibu pejabat IMPACT, sekali gus muncul kerjasama pertama dan tunggal di dunia yang membabitkan pemegang saham global di antara kerajaan, industri dan ahli akademik yang bekerjasama melindungi alam siber dan menjamin keselamatannya untuk semua golongan.

Students’ online application for public varsity tampered with

GOPENG: Three university hopefuls were shocked to find their online applications to public universities tampered with.

The former SMK Seri Teja students, who had just received their STPM results on Thursday, had all their eight choices filled with Islamic Studies.

To make matters worse, they were unable to amend the changes.
Stunned: Chow (seated) showing the changes made to his online application as (from left) Chai and Ang look on.

Chow Hon Mun, 21, said they could only make changes to the details on the online application website three times.

“I panicked when I could not make any changes and told my teachers about it,” said Chow when met at the Gopeng MCA service centre yesterday.

“My teachers then advised me to lodge a police report,” he said, adding that his first choice was engineering and that he had no intention of taking up Islamic Studies.

Chow added that recently he and his two friends had also received SMSes from an unidentified person who admitted to making the changes to their applications.

“I initially thought it was a prank but soon realised the person was telling the truth,” he said, adding that he was puzzled that the person had managed to procure confidential information about him and his two friends.

The other two victims were Chai Yick Loong, 21, and Ang Chun Heng, 20.

Chai said he wanted to take up an engineering course, and hoped the Higher Education Ministry could help them with their predicament.

Ang said he wanted to change the list back to his primary choices before the public university acceptance application ends on March 23.

“I hope the relevant authorities will upgrade the security system on the website so that it won’t be so easily hacked by people,” he added.

Gopeng MCA division chief Albert Chang said he would refer the matter to Deputy Higher Education Minister Dr Hou Kok Chung.

“We will help them gather all their result slips, application forms and official school letters and send the documents to Dr Hou through our education bureau,” said Chang.

He urged all public university hopefuls to check their online applications to ensure their forms were not tampered with.

How to tell, what to do if computer is infected (AP)

Computer-virus infections don't cause your machine to crash anymore.

Nowadays, the criminals behind the infections usually want your computer operating in top form so you don't know something's wrong. That way, they can log your keystrokes and steal any passwords or credit-card numbers you enter at Web sites, or they can link your infected computer with others to send out spam.

Here are some signs your computer is infected, tapped to serve as part of "botnet" armies run by criminals:

• You experience new, prolonged slowdowns. This can be a sign that a malicious program is running in the background.

• You continually get pop-up ads that you can't make go away. This is a sure sign you have "adware," and possibly more, on your machine.

• You're being directed to sites you didn't intend to visit, or your search results are coming back funky. This is another sign that hackers have gotten to your machine.

So what do you do?

• Having anti-virus software here is hugely helpful. For one, it can identify known malicious programs and disable them. If the virus that has infected your machine isn't detected, many anti-virus vendors offer a service in which they can remotely take over your computer and delete the malware for a fee.

• Some anti-virus vendors also offer free, online virus-scanning services.

• You may have to reinstall your operating system if your computer is still experiencing problems. It's a good idea even if you believe you've cleaned up the mess because malware can still be hidden on your machine. You will need to back up your files before you do this.

How do I know what information has been taken?

• It's very hard to tell what's been taken. Not every infection steals your data. Some just serve unwanted ads. Others poison your search result or steer you to Web sites you don't want to see. Others log your every keystroke. The anti-virus vendors have extensive databases about what the known infections do and don't do. Comparing the results from your virus scans to those entries will give you a good idea about what criminals may have snatched up.

Empat ciuman sehari panjangkan perkahwinan

LONDON: Penyelidik berjaya membongkar rahsia perkahwinan berpanjangan dan ia membabitkan jurang umur dua tahun, empat ciuman sehari dan mengadakan hubungan seks tiga kali seminggu.

Berkongsi dua hobi, memeluk pasangan tiga kali setiap 24 jam, mengucap ‘saya cintakan awak’ sekurang-kurangnya sekali sehari dan menikmati dua hidangan romantik dua kali sebulan juga boleh membantu memanjangkan usia perkahwinan.

Profil perkahwinan sempurna itu dikumpul oleh laman web perancang perkahwinan, www.confetti.co.uk. Lebih 3,000 pasangan suami isteri disoal selidik untuk mencari rahsia kejayaan mereka mempertahankan perkahwinan.

Jurucakap laman web itu, Carol Richardson, berkata: “Penyelidikan menunjukkan banyak komponen yang menjadikan perkahwinan itu sempurna, termasuk jurang usia yang sesuai, tempoh bercinta dan masa untuk berkahwin.

“Nampaknya, pasangan berkahwin pada usia lebih lanjut yang boleh dikaitkan dengan wanita lebih mementingkan karier, menyebabkan cinta dan perkahwinan jatuh nombor dua.”

Beliau berkata, jurang perbezaan usia untuk perkahwinan masih menetapkan lelaki perlu lebih tua berbanding wanita yang boleh dikaitkan dengan suami perlu stabil dari segi emosi dan kewangan.

“Selepas majlis perkahwinan berakhir, kajian menunjukkan betapa penting memastikan keajaiban itu terus hidup dengan ciuman, pelukan dan keluar malam bersama,” katanya.

Kajian mendapati perkahwinan paling lama bertahan membabitkan lelaki yang berkahwin pada usia 31 tahun - dua tahun dan tiga bulan lebih tua dari pasangan mereka.

Suami isteri juga perlu mengucapkan ‘saya cintakan awak’ kepada sesama sendiri sekurang-kurangnya sekali sehari dan melakukan hubungan seks tiga kali seminggu. - Agensi

Bagi memastikan hubungan sentiasa ceria, pasangan suami isteri perlu keluar makan bersama dua kali setiap bulan dan memperuntukkan tiga malam seminggu berpelukan di atas sofa bersama.

Mereka juga perlu sentiasa berhubungan - walaupun ketika bekerja - menerusi sekurang-kurangnya tiga panggilan telefon, SMS atau emel.

Dua percutian hujung minggu mengejutkan setiap tahun dan sekali percutian di luar negara setahun juga memastikan perkahwinan sentiasa kukuh. - Agensi

Dengue Remedy

PASS THIS INFORMATION TO AS MANY AS YOU CAN, IT MAY SAVE LIVES.

I would like to share this interesting discovery from a classmate's son who has just recovered from dengue fever. Apparently, his son was in the critical stage at the ICU when his blood platelet count drops to 15 after 15 liters of blood transfusion.

His father was so worried that he seeks another friend's recommendation and his son was saved. He confessed to me that he gave his son raw juice of the papaya leaves. From a platelet count of 45 after 20 liters of blood transfusion, and after drinking the raw papaya leaf juice, his platelet count jumps instantly to 135. Even the doctors and nurses were surprised. After the second day he was discharged. So he asked me to pass this good news around.

Accordingly it is raw papaya leaves, 2pcs just cleaned and pound and squeeze with filter cloth. You will only get one tablespoon per leaf. So two tablespoon per serving once a day. Do not boil or cook or rinse with hot water, it will loose its strength. Only the leafy part and no stem or sap. It is very bitter and you have to swallow it like "Won Low Kat". But it works.

*Papaya Juice - Cure for Dengue*

You may have heard this elsewhere but if not I am glad to inform you that papaya juice is a natural cure for dengue fever. As dengue fever is rampant now, I think it's good to share this with all.

A friend of mine had dengue last year. It was a very serious situation for her as her platelet count had dropped to 28,000 after 3 days in hospital and water has started to fill up her lung. She had difficulty in breathing. She was only 32-year old. Doctor says there's no cure for dengue. We just have to wait for her body immune system to build up resistance against dengue and fight its own battle. She already had 2 blood transfusion and all of us were praying very hard as her platelet continued to drop since the first day she was admitted.

Fortunately her mother-in-law heard that papaya juice would help to reduce the fever and got some papaya leaves, pounded them and squeeze the juice out for her. The next day, her platelet count started to increase, her fever subside. We continued to feed her with papaya juice and she recovered after 3 days!!!

Amazing but it's true. It's believed one's body would be overheated when one is down with dengue and that also caused the patient to have fever papaya juice has cooling effect. Thus, it helps to reduce the level of heat in one's body, thus the fever will go away. I found that it's also good when one is having sore throat or suffering from heat.

Please spread the news about this as lately there are many dengue cases. It's great if such natural cure could help to ease the sufferings of dengue patients.

Furthermore it's so easily available.
Blend them and squeeze the juice! It's simple and miraculously effective!!

Mudarat salah teknik menyusu

Kesihatan bayi mungkin terancam jika ibu guna cara kurang

LONDON: Doktor Britain melancarkan siasatan mengenai skil penyusuan ibu selepas bukti menunjukkan sebahagian bayi diserang sakit teruk kerana gagal mendapatkan susu mencukupi.

Laporan akhbar The Independent menyebut, penyelidik banyak merekodkan bilangan bayi yang dimasukkan ke hospital di United Kingdom dan Ireland dengan masalah hypernatraemic dehydration teruk, penyakit yang jarang tetapi boleh menyebabkan kematian berpunca daripada kekurangan cecair dan peningkatan paras garam dalam darah.

Keadaan itu sudah dikenal pasti selama bertahun-tahun tetapi tiada kajian dibuat untuk menentukan hadnya. Pakar berkata, mereka menjangkakan hasil kajian menunjukkan antara satu dalam 100 dan satu dalam 1,000 bayi terjejas akibat keadaan itu.

Negara lain mengelak daripada melakukan kajian sama kerana bimbang ia menjejaskan keyakinan dalam penyusuan ibu, yang diketahui memberikan permulaan terbaik bagi kehidupan bayi apabila dilakukan dengan berkesan.

Di Britain, kajian yang dicadangkan membimbangkan doktor di Unit Pengawasan Pediatrik Britain (BPSU) yang cuba melakukannya, berhubung kemungkinan impak kepada penyusuan ibu.

Perunding pediatrik di Hospital Ealing, Colin Michie, dan jurucakap BPSU, berkata: "Ia adalah proses biologi yang dihadapi oleh sesetengah ibu. Pada akhirnya, kita memutuskan untuk perlu melakukan kajian kerana memerlukan maklumat. Faedahnya mengatasi keburukan."

Kejayaan penyusuan ibu bergantung dengan kedudukan tepat bayi, membantunya melekat pada payu dara dan bermula seawal mungkin selepas kelahiran. Sokongan daripada bidan adalah kunci mendapatkan kedudukan tepat tetapi ia berbeza di seluruh negara, katanya.

"Penyusuan ibu bukan semudah yang dilihat. Lebih mudah mengeluarkan susu daripada botol berbanding payu dara dan sebab itulah memberikan susu botol satu kesilapan. Ramai ibu berputus asa.

"Jika ibu tahu bagaimana cara betul menyusukan bayi, masalah ini akan berkurangan. Apa mungkin diperoleh penyelidik ialah ibu tidak mendapat nasihat yang baik. Masalah lebih teruk di bandar dan wanita yang menjadi ibu kali pertama," katanya. � Agensi

Guna Facebook boleh bawa risiko kanser

LONDON: Laman web sosial seperti Facebook boleh meningkatkan risiko kesihatan serius dengan mengurangkan tahap hubungan wajah ke wajah, dakwa seorang doktor.

Menghantar e-mel kepada rakan berbanding bersemuka dengan mereka mungkin memberi kesan biologi yang negatif pada kadar tinggi, kata pakar psikologi, Dr Aric Sigman.

Peningkatan masalah keterasingan akan mengubah suai gen cara bekerja dan menjejaskan reaksi imun, paras hormon dan fungsi arteri malah turut memberi kesan kepada persembahan mental.

Ia boleh meningkatkan risiko masalah lebih serius seperti barah, angin ahmar, sakit jantung dan nyanyuk, kata Dr Sigman dalam Biologist, jurnal Institut Biologi.

Laman web sosial seperti MySpace dan Facebook membolehkan orang ramai berhubungan dengan rakan menerusi internet. Mereka boleh bertukar-tukar gambar, bermain permainan dan meninggalkan mesej.

Namun, walaupun ia dicipta untuk mendekatkan hubungan, Dr Sigman berkata laman web berkenaan sebenarnya menjadikan pengunjungnya lebih terasing.

Penyelidikan menunjukkan bilangan jam yang diperuntukkan untuk berbual secara bersemuka jatuh mendadak sejak 1987 apabila penggunaan media elektronik meningkat.

"Memang ada perbezaan antara 'kehadiran sebenar' dan kepelbagaian maya," kata Dr Sigman.

Sesetengah gen, termasuk yang terbabit dengan sistem imun dan reaksi kepada tekanan, bertindak secara berbeza mengikut sejauh mana seseorang itu berinteraksi secara sosial dengan orang lain. � Agensi

Church helps single mum keep her yearly resolution

KLANG: Monica de Souza’s New Year resolution has been the same for the past three years.

Every year this single mother of five vows not to give up hope and prays for the will and determination to raise her children, aged between 14 and seven, into responsible adults.

“My children are my world, especially since my husband Ben (David Eric) died suddenly three years ago,” said the 40-year-old de Souza.

But thanks to the pastor and congregation of the Church of Shekinah Glory, they have managed to survive.

De Souza receives a monthly allowance and groceries from the church and its congregation.

“With what I get from the church and my earnings as a babysitter, I am able to pay the RM500 rental for the house as well as put my children through school,” said de Souza, who lives in Taman Klang Jaya near here.

Comment: this is what should we do as Jesus's followers.

Dulu makan gaji, kini pengusaha cacing berjaya

Oleh Norizan Abdul Muhid


DARI kiri, Wan Norazami Wan Shah, Zamri Md. Kassim dan Ahmad Ghazi Abdul Hayun menunjukkan baja cacing yang dihasilkan syarikat milik mereka, Zaws Agrotech di Kampung Tehel, Jasin, Melaka.

JASIN 5 Jan. - Jika dulu empat rakan baik ini hanyalah pekerja kilang yang bergantung sepenuhnya kepada pendapatan tetap sekitar RM3,000 hingga RM7,000 sebulan, tetapi kini segalanya sudah berubah kerana terlibat secara aktif dalam ternakan cacing.

Siapa sangka cacing yang sering digunakan untuk menjadi umpan memancing ikan tetapi kini sudah menjadi perniagaan yang menjanjikan sumber pendapatan paling lumayan.

Justeru, empat anak muda ini mengambil langkah untuk berhenti kerja dan memberikan tumpuan penuh mengusahakan ternakan cacing.

Berbekalkan minat dan bersedia menghadapi risiko perniagaan, mereka mencuba perniagaan menternak cacing untuk dijadikan baja bermula pada tahun 2006.

Pelbagai rintangan dan halangan dilalui malah ada di kalangan rakan mereka yang tertawa apabila menyuarakan hasrat untuk menceburi bidang perniagaan menternak cacing untuk dijadikan baja.

Akhirnya, percaturan empat sekawan ini berhasil kerana selepas tiga tahun menghadapi pelbagai cabaran, perniagaan ternakan cacing dan baja pertanian yang dihasilkan menerusi penubuhan syarikat, Zaws Agrotech di Kampung Tehel di sini mampu memberikan pendapatan lumayan sehingga RM30,000 sebulan.

''Tiada seorang pun dari kalangan kami yang mempunyai kepakaran dan segulung ijazah dalam bidang pertanian.

''Saya sendiri memegang diploma kejuruteraan dari politeknik di Perlis dan bekerja hampir 18 tahun sebagai penyelia di kilang," kata Wan Norazami Wan Shah, 33.

Katanya, selepas kecewa kilang tempat mereka bekerja terpaksa ditutup dan berpindah operasi ke Johor pada tahun 2006, rakan mereka, Mohd. Suhaimi Selamat, 33, mempelawa untuk mencuba perniagaan tersebut yang ketika itu masih baru di negara ini.

''Pada mulanya saya kurang yakin dengan cadangan Mohd. Suhaimi tetapi setelah berjumpa dengan pengusaha menternak cacing yang berjaya akhirnya saya dan rakan yang lain bersetuju memulakan perniagaan ini," katanya.

Selain Wan Norazami dan Mohd. Suhaimi, dua lagi rakan mereka yang turut mengusahakan Zaws Agrotech ialah Zamri Md. Kassim, 39, dan Ahmad Ghazi Abdul Hayun, 36.

Menurut Wan Norazami, tanpa mendapatkan bantuan kewangan daripada mana-mana pihak, mereka berempat mencuba menternak sekilogram cacing induk yang dibeli di Perak bagi mencuba sejauh mana pencapaian mereka dalam bidang tersebut.

Dalam tempoh setahun mengusahakan perniagaan tersebut, kata beliau, tidak ada sebarang hasil dan keuntungan yang diperoleh.

''Kami semua tidak patah semangat walaupun dalam setahun tidak mendapat sebarang pendapatan.

''Kami cekal dan akhirnya berkat usaha gigih impian yang diletakkan menjadi kenyataan," katanya.

Beliau memberitahu, purata setiap bulan dianggarkan 300 kilogram cacing berjaya dihasilkan daripada 153 kotak yang terdapat di pusat pemeliharaan cacing tersebut beroperasi.

''Kami ternak cacing import dari Afrika dan cacing merah dari Australia. Hasilnya kami jual kepada para penternak baru serta beberapa syarikat kosmetik tempatan," katanya.

Katanya, menternak cacing ini di anggap mudah kerana dalam masa tiga bulan selepas menetas daripada telur, cacing ini sudah matang dan boleh dijual.

Beliau menambah, setiap telur ia akan mengeluarkan kira-kira 20 ekor cacing.

''Di samping menternak cacing, baja juga dapat dihasilkan melalui ternakan cacing ini dan baja yang dihasilkan ini jika diletakkan di kawasan pokok-pokok ia akan dapat meningkatkan lagi hasil pengeluaran pokok," katanya.

Katanya, terdapat dua jenis bentuk baja yang dijual iaitu jenis cecair yang dijual dengan harga RM30 yang sesuai digunakan di pokok-pokok bunga manakala jenis serbuk pula dijual dengan harga RM4 hingga RM6 dengan setiap satu kilogram.

Namun, siapa sangka anak muda empat sekawan ini biarpun tidak berpengalaman dalam perniagaan tetapi mereka membuktikan dengan minat mendalam, mereka mampu menguasai bidang tersebut.

Di samping itu, empat rakan baik ini juga telah berjaya mencipta mesin tapisan cacing.

''Mesin ini kami jual dengan harga RM2,500 sebuah dan sambutan yang diterima agak memuaskan, sekali gus menambah pendapatan syarikat kami.

''Bagi perancangan masa depan, kami akan melebarkan sayap perniagaan Zaws Agrotech ke luar negara khususnya negara Asia Barat yang mempunyai permintaan tinggi dalam perniagaan ini," katanya.

Bagi mereka yang berminat berkongsi pengalaman bersama empat anak muda ini dan berhasrat membuat tempahan cacing dan baja, boleh hubungi Mohd. Suhaimi pada talian 019-6501125 atau datang sendiri di alamat Kilometer 16, Kampung Tehel.