This Malaysian Retiree Has Been Crafting A 10KG Ball From Tiger Beer Foils Over 25 Years
Patrick Lam exercises regularly and watches his food intake to stay fit.
By Yap Wan Xiang — 20 Feb 2025, 10:21 AM
Meet Patrick Lam, a 68-year-old retiree who has been collecting Tiger beer packaging foils and crafting them into a ball for 25 years
When SAYS visited Lam at Blue Zone Cafe in Pandan Perdana, KL last week, we were shocked to find that the ball weighs nearly 10kg when we tried to lift it.
For reference, that weight is typically the heaviest medicine ball you find at the gym.
Lam said that the ball is made solely from the packaging foils found on top of Tiger beer glass bottles. He and his friends consume about one crate of Tiger beer daily, which contains 24 bottles.
Additionally, he collects empty beer bottles left by customers at Blue Zone Cafe, where the owner is a friend of his, and he spends his time peeling the packaging foils of up to eight crates of bottles to add to the ball while chatting with his friends.
"I drink every night. If I don't drink beer, I don't enjoy life," Lam said with a smile.
Watch our interview with him below:
The inspiration behind making the ball comes from memories of his late friend, who began rolling the packaging foils into a ball more than two decades ago
"Before I started making the ball, I had one friend who was working on a small ball. I got interested. But my friend died young. So I followed his footsteps up until now for 25 years," said the retiree.
The last time Lam weighed the ball, it was around 9.8kg. He said he will stop once the ball reaches 10kg and then start making a new one.
When asked about his health and fit body, Lam said he maintains his routine of regular exercise and annual body check-ups
"I check my blood pressure, blood sugar, and everything else. My family does not have a history of diabetes.
"I informed my doctor that I drink daily but I don't drink hard liquor. The doctor assured me it is acceptable to drink beer, provided I maintain a limit," he said, adding that he always monitors his intake to avoid overindulgence.
Lam mentioned that he exercises daily by lifting weights, jogging on a treadmill, and performing upper-body aerobic movements to maintain his weight and avoid the stubborn beer belly that many beer drinkers have.
"The most important thing is paying attention to what we eat. I told my children this as well," said the retired farmer.
Lam also attributed his good health to making the ball. He explained that rolling the nearly 10kg ball to smooth its surface after glueing over a hundred packaging foils every day is beneficial for blood circulation in his palms.
Lam told SAYS that even the bucket and tool box he carries with the ball are wrapped in Tiger beer packaging foils.
Image via Patrick Lam (Provided to SAYS)
