Cabinet minister Syed Hamid Albar who chairs the Malaysian Association of Youth Clubs (MAYC) recently acknowledged the adverse effects of smoking, such as cancer, respiratory illnesses, higher health costs, etcetera - all the standard reasons why the government should crack down harder on the tobacco industry.

One would not have guessed that Syed Hamid made this speech to draw attention to the fact that his youth organisation just recently signed a deal with two big tobacco firms to endorse their television advertisement, purportedly aimed at preventing Malaysian youth from smoking.

It would be very apparent to anyone watching primetime telly these past few days that the minister and MAYC must have overlooked the most glaring message of that commercial.