At the start of the week, they were titillated. By the middle of the week, they were scandalised. Now, a week after details of David Beckham's alleged affair with a former Kuala Lumpur model emerged, Malaysians are appalled at how the story has developed.
The level of government concern has shot up as fast as the reputation of Sarah Marbeck - 'barrister's daughter' to British tabloids on Monday, 'high-class hooker' by Wednesday and 'slapper' by Friday - has plummeted.