As enthusiastic a supporter as I am of any protest against the revolting Barisan Nasional government, I'm a bit disappointed that this year's Umno general assembly was so upstaged by the Bersih and Hindraf rallies.

It's always good for a glimpse into the psyche of a party hell-bent on keeping itself in power despite having so laughably yet tragically lost the plot.

But besides being overshadowed by subsequent events, this year's Umnofest was also a somewhat low-key affair.