eval {
  # my stuff ...

  #Note: return *only* exits eval {...}
  #make sure success "returns" true
  return 1;
} or do {
  # what you are currently putting inside if ($@) {...} goes here.
}

##</code><code>##

if($opt_daemon) {
   # ... intro stuff
  while (1) {
    foreach my $opt_mailid (@mail_ids) {
      my ($log) = Log::Log4perl::get_logger('main');
      my $data = get_data('mail_id' => $opt_mailid,
                          'file_path' => "/spool/emails");

      ##connect db
      MysqlUtils::connect();

      eval {
        MysqlUtils::insert_record($data);
      };

      if($@) {
        $log->error("unable to insert data");
      }
    }
  }
} else {
  print STDOUT "Normal mode\n";
  my ($log) = Log::Log4perl::get_logger('main');
  my $data = get_data('mail_id' => $opt_mailid
                      , 'file_path' => "/spool/emails");

  ##connect db
  MysqlUtils::connect();

  eval {
    MysqlUtils::insert_record($data);
  };

  if($@) {
     $log->error("unable to insert data");
  }	
}

##</code><code>##

sub runMailHandler {
  my ($opt_mailid) = @_;

  my ($log) = Log::Log4perl::get_logger('main');
  my $data = get_data('mail_id' => $opt_mailid
                      , 'file_path' => "/spool/emails");

  ##connect db
  MysqlUtils::connect();

  eval {
    MysqlUtils::insert_record($data);
    return 1;
  } or do {
    $log->error("unable to insert data");
  }	
}

if($opt_daemon) {
  # intro stuff ...
  while (1) {
    runMailHandler($_) foreach @mail_ids;
  }
} else {
  runMailHandler($opt_mailid);
}