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Photo Credit: Kojach

So Ops Sikap ended yesterday and major newspapers covered the increase in road accidents and related deaths. Almost every interview that covered this topic has some politician or public figure commenting on society’s attitude towards road safety being the primary reason for our blood smeared roads.

In a recent interview broadcasted on TV3, Malaysia’s IGP; Tan Sri Musa Hassan, had even remarked that even if traffic offences are punishable by death, Malaysians would still drive dangerously and with disregard to other road users.

Whether this is true or not, I doubt we’ll ever find out. I’m sure that there are just too many bad drivers in Parliament that will shoot down the dossier to shreds in a heartbeat.

However, I can’t understand why those who gather these Ops Sikap stats are only obsessed with getting the number of accidents, deaths, vehicle type and location. This data merely covers the facts directly related to the accidents.

I’ve yet to see these reports coupled with important supplimentary data like the number of road tax renewals for the past 18 months, or sales figures of road vehicles for the past year.

Read the rest of The Ops Sikap Syndrome: Attitude Problem? Whose? »

OK, a quick primer; Ramadhan is the fasting month for Muslims. During this month, Muslims must refrain from eating, drinking and other ill-natured indulgences from dawn until dusk.

Ramadhan is also an excellent month to make extra money, especially if you know how to cook good food. Throughout Malaysia during Ramadhan, there will be thousands of Ramadhan Markets (better known locally as Pasar Ramadhan) where sellers of all kinds of food peddle their wares.

The hustle and bustle of Pasar Ramadhan makes it an excellent location for street photography. I’d like to share with you some candid shots I’ve captured during the first two days of Ramadhan at one of the most famous Pasar Ramadhan in Johor Bahru… the Bandar Baru Uda Pasar Ramadhan.

Read the rest of Mostly Stealth Street Photography: Pasar Ramadhan Bandar Baru Uda »

When people talk about macro photography, they generally mean taking extreme close-up photos of an object. Typically, macro photography subjects tend to be flora or insects. This is hardly surprising though, because much finer details can be seen on these subjects through macro photography.

Photography purist define true macro photography as capturing an image where the subject is projected onto the camera’s sensor close to its actual size.

I’m not a purist when it comes to macro photography, and generally I define macro photography as extreme close-ups of the subject.

Read the rest of An Experiment In Kitchen Macro Photography »

Sometimes when you revisit a place close to your heart, you’ll get overwhelmed with emotions. Surprise and nostalgia are some of the things you’d felt.

A few days ago, I revisited such a place; the first Sekolah Agama (Malay for religious school) I went to. Sekolah Agama Bukit Zaharah is located within the compounds of Kebun Bunga DiRaja, also known as Istana Gardens.

Along with the two emotions I mentioned earlier… I was also saddened by the state of my alma mater. The school building still stood; but like many buildings in Johor Bahru, it is left decrepit.

Read the rest of Sekolah Agama Bukit Zaharah: A Building Left Unappreciated »

Photo Credit: 水泳男

I’ll be honest and say it very early on; I don’t consider myself a fan of the late Yasmin Ahmad’s films. What I do admire her for is her work in the advertising sector.

Yasmin has the knack of delivering strong messages in very short time periods. In TV advertising, what you can deliver in a few seconds decides whether your campaign is a flop or success.

In this context, I cannot find any other Malaysian director who delivers this as consistently as Yasmin.

With this, I share with you some of her amazing work. Al-Fatihah, Yasmin… you will be missed.

Read the rest of Remembering Yasmin Ahmad, A True Malaysian Talent »