That doh advertisement from Prudential Insurance

*doh = Exclamation on doing something foolish

The ad is something like this:

A row of newborn babies in the hospital nursery. A dad said something like, “I want you to be an astronaut, find a cure for cancer, be the Prime Minister (lol, this one I tambah) yadda yadda yadda (big dreamer), I want you to go where I did not manage yadda yadda yadda…..”

Each time it comes on air, my kids will go like, “See lah, see lah, not yet grown up already put pressure. That’s why all the kids go crazy.” True or not?

So, while we are talking insurance , let me ranted a bit about insurance salesman . Long time ago, a relative wanted to achieve sales target. Both my hubby and I were already his real clients. So, he asked if he can use both my kids’ names to get two more sales. That time, I have only two sons. So, since we are blood-ties, my hubby agreed. But when I got the (fake) policies for signing, I got damn tiu-ed and screamed at my hubby for the foolish thing his blood-tie relative did.

We thought that donkey-head would prepare two ficticious study-insurance or some trust fund insurance for my sons who were only about 6 yrs and 4 yrs old. But he instead prepared life insurance for them. I had from that day onwards, swept off any chummy relations with that blood-tie. MCB, where got people buy insurance for their children to die and the parents wait to collect the money wan? Bodoh, bangau, takdak hotak kah? Of course, I tore off the policies there and then and he can go fly kite without achieving any target on my offsprings’ names.

Even in our schools, the children are given a form to buy life insurance. Chisin meh, I damn pantang (superstitious) in this kind of things wan. The teacher will tell the little kids, usually Standard One seven years old, that if they buy and pay a minimal sum for the policies, if they get injured, patah kaki (broke a leg) or die, their parents will have money. If I am less kinder, I will go bring a broom and dirty panties to sweep his backside and stuff his mouth. Choy!!!!!! Or maybe I should sue the insurance company for traumatising little children.

Shoo! Shoo! Go away, all insurance salesmen. But having said that, it is good for family men to get your life insurance so that your family is protected in case of any tong-kua-tau-foo (eventualities). And those parents whose companies do not provide medical insurance coverage for the families, do cover for your children in case of any hospitalisation stays. Kids are bound to get sick so it is better to be protected than worry about the huge medical costs.


Anyway….I bought my first life insurance when I was only 21 years old, beneficiary to my mom. Now, I have even forgotten who is my beneficiary because the amount is not much but enough for a decent way to send me off next time. LOL. Have you got yours? Get yourself a LIFE insurance because it has lower premiums and forget about those that allows you to withdraw money and frills like that. At least that is what my ex-insurance saleman husband taught me. You will end up paying for the spanking new cars of the salesmen only. He increases his coverage with the arrival of each baby. That’s the right thing to do, you know?

25 thoughts on “That doh advertisement from Prudential Insurance

  1. yes, damn all insurance salesmen! i oso have beef with them but rather not talk about it, later get my blood boil again!

  2. i got my life insurance last year, it’s always better to be safe than sorry. the older you get, the more expensive you need to pay as well so it’s a wise and worthy investment i would say 🙂

  3. insurance good what. i just surrendered 3 policies because i need the money to tide thing over.
    i got back about 1/2 the amount that i have paid!! yapeee!!!

  4. actually ah, i think that TV ad is the stupidest. Instead of wanting things like happiness and health for his son, itu bodoh punya bapak want all those ambitious things for his anak. Must be the bapak’s own unfulfilled fantasies la.

  5. firstly i hate that prudential ad. I cannot stand it. I hate it when companies want to use NEWBORN BABIES TO EXPLOIT their products! NO TO PRU!

    secondly, i hate insurance sales ppl who just really don’t give a shit about you. bloody bloodmoneysuckers!

  6. I never liked Insurance saleperson and never will. I have a comprehensive policy that I am comfortable with and I think that is sufficient to cover most eventuality and that is enough. However, at times, some smart cousin aka KNB will give my number to some irritating insurance salesperson and they start calling and it goes like this..

    Salesperson : Hello Jude, this is so and so, I got your number from Leo and I would like to talk to you about something (in this case it was a gal and i was like..oh KNN what have my cousin done this time? got some gal with child and now run away but before that gave her my number!! celaka sial punya budak..you know..all the worst case scenario running in your mind)
    Me: Yes? what can I do for you?
    Salesperson: I’m calling from Prudential or one of the insurance houses (and i go like..oh shit)
    Me: I see, what can I do for you?
    Salesperson: I’m wondering are you interested in blah blah blah..(doing her sales pitch)
    Me: I am insured already and I don’t need another policy, thank you.
    Salesperson: Oh, but this is a good coverage blah blah blah
    Me: I am happy with my current policy, thank you so please, no thanks,
    Salesperson: I see, but may I know what’s your current policy and how much are you covered?
    Me: Its between me and my agent and I don’t think its correct of me to discuss that with you and I hope you understand that you are wasting your time as I have no intention of getting another policy (now very irritated already)
    Salesperson: Oh! you see, our policy can give you more bla bla bla
    Me: I’m currently insured for RM 1 mill (or some ridiculous sum) and its paid for by my company as I am very valuable to them (which is true, my company pay for half of my life and medical insurance) and we do not change insurance house and I have no intention of changing insurance house as I am very comfortable with mine and even if i want to change my policy or get a new one, I will get it directly from my friend rather than someone I don’t even know who (angry now)
    Salesperson: Oh, that much ah, perhaps we can meet for coffee or lunch one day?
    Me: I take my lunch and coffee at the hilton, you can foot for my bill but I will still not get your policy and i will tune off when u start ur pitch as i will be there for the free meal, so if you don’t want to foot for my free meal, stop bothering me as my final answer will be NO..so please, don’t waste your time as you have already wasted some money on your phone bill by calling me and so please, don’t bother me, as my answer will be no (extremely pissed off)
    Salesperson: oh..ok..are you sure?
    Me: YES (in an angry tone)
    salesperson: ok but if you change your mind, please don’t hesitate to look for me
    Me: I don’t think I will, so please don’t call me.
    hang up

    PEST and then call KNB and screw him kau kau…and all he did was laugh his head off…

    BOTTOM LINE!! I HATE INSURANCE SALESPERSON!!! STUPID PEOPLE..PEST!!

  7. i think the generalisation of all insurance salesman ‘are’ bad aren’t true.

    Not all are those who want to hit target etc and force u 2 buy policy from them n r bloodybloodsuckers.

    Insurance policies comes in many form. You may choose for a plan that consist of protection, saving and most importantly medical, hospitalisation and also 36 types of critical illnesses. It is always safe than never.Is better to have all.
    When u really need the $$ for the medical & hospitalisation bill this is when the insurance compensation comes handy.
    You have to check with your agent for further details on this.

    A good ‘professional’ and ethical insurance agent or financial services agent are trained and had to sit for professional exams to qualify as a licensed agent.yadda yadda.. and the exams just goes on.

    and of coz there are alot of those so called ‘ah chu’, ‘ah kau’ insurance agent, which are ‘blacksheep’ to the industry.

    If you are feeling uneasy with one ‘blacksheep’ that approaches you and forces you to get a policy from them.. easy.. lodge a complain to their agency, the insurer or to the insurance complaint bureau. . for life insurance u lodge it to LIAM and as for General insurance lodge it to PIAM.

    The choice and decision are still on your hand ladies and gentlemen. Buy as per ur pocket can afford n per ur need.

    The mission of a life insurance & financial planner are to educate people to create, protect & distribute their wealth in the best possible way before they die (especially bread winner). This will bring happiness & remove suffering of their still surviving loves ones.

    By the way, Pru My Child is not to pressurised the poor child la…but just imagine when your child has got a dream to be ,say an engineer
    and
    the worst nightmare parents do not which to face is when the child ask you
    ” mommy & daddy, I want to be an engineer, will you be able to pay for my education fees…”

    and you know that you can’t afford to pay for the fees..how are you going to answer you child? ( taking into consideration of inflation and the high cost of education in the next 20 years)…n other etc risk factor to be considerate.

    This is a crucial ‘yes, we are able’ and ‘no, sorry dear, we can’t afford’ answer to be considered…

    (even over 5 years the price of roti canai kosong shots up so many times. from a decent 40 sen to now 80sen. someplaces are now RM1!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)

    When signing up or considering for insurance policies, a good agent will prepare you a proposal n some to the extend of helping you to chart your financial planning etc.

    Not all agents are BLACKSHEEP…maybe you haven’t been approach by the good ones…hehehe…it’s luck man n blessing.

    the advert is exploiting new born or not..it is how the media create the energy to those responsible parents to help their child in the future..

    Coincident or not…my newborn was put on the UV machine due to jaundice…n the very inner me felt like the message in the advert…n bloodyhell evertime i watch the advert i will cry…
    (the fella who created the advert is really something)
    i just hope that i can provide what is best for my baby…n i m a Pru agent…hahahaha…n of coz i m signing up the policy for my bb next week … (^@^)/

    some ppl dunno that to buy policies has got insureable criteria..not everyone can buy insurance.
    when u r those in the category of uninsurable..that time really…’kelian’

    u may hate me for this..but these are some of the facts..in some countries it is compulsory for its citizen or even those entering that country to have medical n hospitalisation insurance..the medical cost is just to hell high….
    imagine when things wasn’t right…..

  8. Ah, speaking of “pressure”…Dad used to put “pressure” on his only son (yours truly) for me to take up LAW. Would you believe it…of all things, LAW. Why? Because he’s impressed with all those loyars wearing blazers and carrying briefcases, so he wants me to join the profession too.

    Somehow I managed to make him see things my way. Now I’m going to be an IT Professional, instead. LOL

    – MENJ

  9. @Wuching…please don’t paint all insurance guys with the same brush. I know some are really nasty and dishonest, but most of them are just honest folks trying to make a living. My dad is a Takaful Nasional agency manager, or in other words, an insurance guy too.

    – MENJ

  10. Yalah not all insurance agents are bad..i personally memang all for insurance man! No need to b pantang la, our lives all in GOD’s hands ma….I myself have got 4 policies…kiasu!

  11. I hate the non-professionals one but not ALL insurance agent are badlah. I am a supporter of insurance as I’ve gone through some bad times and the insurance policies that I’ve had helped!

  12. – Except for people fail on financial planning, endowment Insurance is useless/hopeless. You pay 3times extra premium but the inflation will wipe out all “long term return”. Save the money and buy blue chip like PBB will earn you more.

    – Medical insurance is important. But those CCB minister in the gahmen just let the insurnace company earn fat money instead of implement a national health care plan.

    – Buy a copy of CAP paper will save you lots of money in long term.

    And not to forget the some so good to be truth investment http://mydailynuggets.blogspot.com/2006/08/epf-members-investment-scheme.html
    Most of this scheme are from insurance company.

  13. LOL, so many comments, read until my kepala pusing liao. Keep them coming and if anyone wants to buy insurance, just give froginkl a tinkle. She knows her stuff. Or if you are a Muslim, find Menj’s father.

    But do get a policy when you are young (like me when I was 21 yrs old) ‘cos the premium only around RM200. And don’t give excuse you don’t have RM200 per year to protect your family (assuming you are young, you cover for your parents lor).

  14. My brother is a Pru agent, and he sees everyone as potential customer, including my little baby who’s yet to have any study policy. He’ll be very “nice” and sweet talking to everyone he meets.
    I beh tahan when I see him with his agent friends, all like “ke si” and pretending to be too NICE.
    But what to do, he’s my brother, have to support loh…

  15. Haiyo! Just yesterday I got a call from HSBC asking me if I am interested in Life Insurance for my baby. They noticed that my baby has an account with them so they are doing a joint venture with some insurance company. I was thinking how odd that a baby has life insurance & now that you’ve mentioned it, HAH! You are so right!

  16. Hehe, didn’t know this kind of thing also people still pantang. In my family, my dad bought an insurance for all of us since we were teens.

  17. You’re kidding, right? They even market to poor little Std Ones in school? I think that’s WAY TOO MUCH…my God, this is creative selling gone overboard.

  18. So which one is better to get for a child. Life insurance or those education plan thingies? Or are they the same. Yikes, me so blur!

  19. Insurance is something we loathe when we do not see its value/do not need it but it is something that we will appreciate in time of need. Unfortunately, by then, it may be too late to get an insurance policy.

    Insurance marketing plays on our fear. Nevertheless, it is wise to get an insurance policy and also for the children i.e education and medical.

  20. KittyCat which era are u from? the school insurance was since long ago. they use to have insurer doing that esp. AIA now they have this “takaful” for school children and is compulsory.

    Btw, a bit promo..hahha.. i do Takaful as well…mali mali…general insurance pun ada…hahaha…this is risk management.

    From my personal view point for a child esp. new born it is best and vital to get medical&hospitalisation first. You never know when lightning stikes and take it as a spare tyre. Medical bills r damn high. can easily fetch up to any figure…cry…i know cases where bb are admited to semi-gov hospital and the bills goes up to puluh puluh ribu…
    the rest you just top up as per your affordabilitiy and capability. no point get big policy end up lapsing it.

    soli oh i never pretend to be ‘N-I-C-E’, i only give ‘I-n-t-r-e-g-r-i-ty’. maybe i should start to be nice so i can buy merc slk, dont want my marciles slk (small litle kelisa) anymore..

    soli la me long winded..durin confinment not much conectivitiy to the world la..only got internet…so unwind here la..to wind out too.. too much wind d..
    heheh…
    tq those who support ‘real insurance agent’. and those who had encountered good agent that had help u thru the thick and thin..
    cheers!!!
    later i belanja telur merah ah..

  21. Thing is…these leeches get about 3yrs of premiums worth as commissions, and now that even TESCO does insurance..it gets better.

    Off the record, I too refer pple to make inquries for the life insurances, with projected equivalent if one is to die (or cover any unpaid bills etc), and these agencies pay good.

    Recent acts by PRU (UK) make them more eager to underwrite as they have lost so much in the market to AVIVA,AXA etc with terrorism hot on the tails. If life insurance is bad… U wait and see how the Car Insurance & Mortgage Cover insurers are… like vultures.

    Me? I pay £5 a mth for a 25yr (till I pension) policy paying out £100k on death only (not being sick etc) so I can rest assured my kids are OK,and I just added Tia the other day for a 55yr Policy for almost next to nothing covering her for almost “£1M (£1m in 2056 is only worth £35k now)…

    Even in Singapore, Most schools cover their students for a group life insurance of S$25k just in case they die or what-nots. It is surely handy for those poorer families as I was one of the claimants then.. hitting an all-time-high of $76,400 in medical bills! That’s over 6yrs in Primary School. My Cost? $1 a mth on top of the school fees.

  22. Moo_T highlighted something very interesting. He did mentioned that endownment plan is useless.

    On that related note, if the agent comes to him with ‘returns only’ at the end of the day, I’d say that the agent partly failed to do what he is suppose to do. Insurance is about protection. Period.

    If your goal is to have X dollar amount by when, and you’re going to achieve it *no* matter what happens to you by putting into a vehicle that is able to generate the returns as you require, then by all means go ahead and do that.

    Having said that, if you’re an income contributor, should something were to happened to you along the way, your plan to save that money for your loved ones deminished. No one can guarantee what tomorrow may bring. Honestly people in general don’t like insurance because they are paying for something that they don’t see.

    Take a few days off and spend some time at the ER room. Talk to the people or doctors. Talk to people who have Cancer or any critical illnesses. It is not very difficult to find the ICU.

    The first thing whenever someone is bed-ridden is not thinking of themselves, they think of how their loved ones is going to live, without their income. They are also EXTREMELY concern of how much it will cost them in a long run

    For example, if the minimum that you must have is RM2k, which works out to RM24K/year, RM240K for 10 years or 20 years if you have a new born. This is to be able keep YOUR PROMISE that you will take care of your family for better or poorer, in good or bad health! Have you kept your promise by providing a peace of mind to your dependents?!

    What do you think will happen to your home should one day you do not come home? Insurance money is creditor proof. It goes to whomever you nominate (except for Malay which follows the Malay law and act as an executor)

    But we all know that promises are meant to be broken, as we are all human, may succumbs to illness/accidents. That is why by providing something that we do not see like THEIR FUTURE.

    Should critical illness/disability strikes, you may not be able to work FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE. The lost of income is ENOURMOUS! If you bring back RM6K/mth, RM72K/year.

    Multiply that for the REST OF YOUR LIFE. That works out to what… MILLIONS? Not to mention of increment and bonuses. May I ask, how much are you covered for the golden goose?

    Please comment and thank you for reading. No offense intended, however if I offended anyone, please do forgive me.

    Roy Steven Ung
    Prudential Agent
    016-451 5957 (Northern Region)

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