It is perhaps one of the biggest promotional masquerades on local television - a game show that has all the elements of a 'kretek' (clove) cigarette brand. The irony is that cigarette brand advertising is not permitted on television. Yet this local television station has been allowed to go scot-free for flouting the law.

The first point is that this TV3 game show uses the Sampoerna cigarette tagline 'Sampurna-kan Hari Mu' and also its corporate colours of red and white. Throughout the entire television game show, the tagline is flashed every now and then.

Moreover, the programme is identical to those of the earlier seasons, except that the stylised 'A' that is closely associated with the cigarette had been removed. It makes no difference because the main elements of the cigarette brand are still there.

This television station should be aware that it is abetting a tobacco company to flout the law by vaguely disguising a tobacco advertisement.

The irony of the whole thing is that 98 percent of Sampoerna has been acquired by Philip Morris Inc this year. Philip Morris is one of the tobacco giants that signed the International Tobacco Products Marketing Standards in September 2001 to practice corporate responsibility.

If we give Philip Morris the benefit of doubt, then it should haul TV3 up for using Sampoerna's tagline and corporate colours without permission. How can Philip Morris allow them to be used as these are important identification elements of its product?

They would not have been copied and used without Philip Morris reacting to a situation which can easily tarnish its reputation.