How ironic. When a tabloid belonging to the Utusan group told the truth, there was a firestorm of protest from journalists. But when it spun untruths, there was conspicuous silence.

When the feelings of Yasmin's family were hurt by certain revelations, there was an uproar from advertising agencies and from reporters and socialites who were her friends.

But when the feelings of A. Kugan's family were hurt by the things printed about him, these people, who raised a stink on Yasmin's behalf, were silent.

Utusan reported that Kugan's family ‘charged into' and ‘broke into' the mortuary to see his battered body. The paper's editorial voice Awang Selamat likened it to a ‘Bollywood film'.

He said: "The question is, why are the non-Malays reacting in such an extreme manner when it involves a victim from their own race (ostensibly in the name of civil rights and justice) to the extent of causing the government and the authorities to come under tremendous stress?"

"If all this while Malay leaders had the confidence to confront extremism and militancy that involved many Malay groups, even though they had to face objections raised by some Muslims, why do Indian leaders behave the opposite?"

He accused these Indian leaders of being racists and desiring to become race heroes.

Utusan Malaysia carried another headline warning those concerned over the Kugan case not to behave like braves ['Jangan ada bertindak jadi hero kes kematian Kugan'].

Awang Selamat - taking it upon himself to speak for his race - claims that Malays and bumiputera organisations see non-Malays as getting too big for their britches ["kaduk naik junjung"].

On the Yasmin story, the tabloid belonging to Utusan group has published a front page banner apology after its staff were castigated by opinion leader Marina as "some truly low creatures".

So will we see a similar pressure put on Utusan Malaysia for its other low blows against Malaysians who are neither rich nor famous?