He has been using a compact digital camera for years. Using it in auto-mode at all times. He shunned dSLRs because of weight and size but has always wanted better picture quality than his digital point-n-shoot could deliver. So when Olympus came out with the micro 4/3rd, he was very tempted. But luckily, he wasn’t in hurry because Sony’s NEX series is IMO better than Olympus/Panasonic offerings.

I spent an hour describing things like focussing, exposure, ISO, aperture and shutter control. I wasn’t familiar with NEX’s menu navigation and had to spend about 30 minutes going through all the essential functions. From a dSLR point of view, the menu navigation in the NEX could use a bit more polish. It’s not as intuitive and straight forward as I would prefer. But compared to point-n-shoot cameras, it’s a lot better.

If non-Malays in Malaysia were to throw the Quran on the ground and step and spit on it, they might as well have their bags ready heading towards Kamunting ISA detention centre.

Muslims who took part in the controversial cow-head incidents are bullies. But the worst culprit is UMNO. Letting them go with a mere slap on the wrist is endorsing such crimes.

I applaud the non-Malays, Indians and Buddhists in particular, for keeping level-headed and calm amidst the entire fiasco. The cow-head incident is orchestrated to provoke religious and racial tensions. It takes two hands to clap but the non-Malays have shown great tolerance and wise enough not to fall into their trap.

The recent release of World Foreign Investment Report (WIR) 2010 by United Nations Conference of Trade and Development (UNCTAD) provided a picture that is nothing short of grim and ugly for the Malaysian economy especially in its attractiveness as a local and foreign investment destination. While the headline 81% drop in foreign direct investment (FDI) from US$7.32 billion to US$1.38 billion can be brushed of as a ‘blip’ due to a global financial and economic crisis in 2008-2009, a more in-depth study reveals that it was certainly not a one-off.

- Tony Pua on Malaysia 2009 81% FDI drop

As I expected, the mainstream UMNO controlled newspapers did not publish this news when it should be in the headlines immediately. Maybe it will appear tucked in a corner of page 15 later, in an insignificant 60-word article. Along with some smart-ass comments on how it is a blessing-in-disguise for Malaysia or even to the extent of saying the report is somewhat flawed. Pretending our economy is fine and nothing to worry about. God knows what spin UMNO editors are going to put on it.

Look at the charts if words can’t convince you it’s time to change our government now.

FDI seek opportunities in countries with stable socio-economy. Countries governed by honest, transparent capable leaders with integrity and management skills. Countries devoid of racial discrimination, redtapes, corruption, unfair judiciary among others. Countries that produce capable, learned, brightest, skilled work force and most importantly, retains them.

Malaysia have none of the above!

So is it any surprise our FDIs are in a free fall? Foreigners have lost every bit of confidence and trust in Malaysia. Even Malaysians are investing their money elsewhere.

A drop of 80% in a year is severe by any measure. Tomorrow’s newspaper can’t afford not to carry this piece of shit. I wonder how the mainstream newspapers are going to spin it. Will the finance minister simply downplay the report’s significance? They ain’t gonna spin their way out of this one I bet. Another bullet for opposition to shoot UMNO with.

This is what we get for retaining UMNO as government of Malaysia. The tight slap of GE12 should have made BN buck up and start performing better. But what have we seen in the past two years? More dirty politics. Emergence of ultra racist PERKASA bent on remaking May 13 1969. More wastages and direct tenders to cronies in mega-million mega-billion projects. Bribing opposition MPs to switch sides with millions of tax-payers money. A sequel to Anwar’s sodomy trial. Teoh Beng Hock’s murder. More freedom of speech suppression using ISA. The list continues but my dinner’s ready.

The only way to stop the economy rot is vote UMNO out of power. And PR in by GE 13. It may plunge in country into political and racial chaos but its a risk we have to take.