The otherwise peaceful soul of Yasmin Ahmad may have already been disturbed.

Kosmo!, a tabloid under the Utusan Group (again?), recently published on its front page a "story" that showed hardly any respect for Yasmin and her family.

Less than 24 hours after her death, when any sensible Malaysian would still cherish the memories of the talented director, we were rudely fed with this kind of material of such low taste, an outright disgrace for national journalism.

To someone who was known to have shown her great love and who created a wealth of spiritual legacy for the Malaysian society, such an unrespectful act was indeed a contempt for humanity.

But then humanity may not mean anything to these people!

Such indifference and cruelty has sparked off social fury. Journalistic friends of Yasmin have launched a signature collecting campaign to protest to the Utusan Group. Even the advertising industry is prepared to boycott the group by refusing to provide any advertising for a period of one month.

Somehow the tolerance towards irresponsible media has been stretched to a limit, and it is now time to launch a full-scale backlash.

Yasmin Ahmad used to come under the attacks of the extreme conservatives when she was alive. It is most unanticipated that even on her death she was not spared from their merciless scourge.

These people do not agree with Yasmin's cross-race, cross-religion mindset, slamming her works to be "un-Malay," excessively liberal, and contrary to religious teachings.

The most typical instance took place several years ago, when RTM aired a forum called "Gubra and Sepet: The polluters of culture." Representatives from the Malay media and cultural circles were brought in to hammer Yasmin for her "great treacheries."

Among their arguments were:

- How could a young Muslim girl who recites the al-Quran possibly fall in love with a heretic (referring to the romance between Jason and Orked in Sepet)?

- How could a Muslim man help his wife wash the dishes in the kitchen?

- How could a muezzin, who should get the enforcers to apprehend the prostitute, offer assistance to the prostitute instead (the muezzin in Gubra helping out a prostitute through her hardship)?

- Malaysia is the land of the Malays, and why didn't she direct some genuine Malay movies instead?

While these arguments may sound childish and ridiculous, they are nonetheless vastly popular among the conservatives.

And Yasmin offered her response to the "cultural polluter" charge, all in her unfailing humorous style.

In her movie that followed, Mukshin, where a cat bit the neighbour's chicken to death, the lead role in the movie pointed at the cat and cursed, "You, the cultural polluter!" (By TAY TIAN YAN/Translated by DOMINIC LOH/Sin Chew Daily)