Childish and regressive. City Hall's decision not to issue any more performing licenses to the Instant Caf Theatre is not the least bit surprising. However, that does not mean that it does not deserve the public's severest condemnation.

From press reports, it appeared that City Hall's decision to take action was based merely on a letter published in Utusan Malaysia on July 11, 2003.

What amazed us is that City Hall actually took the initiative to look into and evaluate the 'suitability' of ICT's show after only reading a letter in the newspapers. This letter is from one out of hundreds who watched and enjoyed the show.

Reports also seem to suggest that City Hall did not take any steps whatsoever to do a survey as to whether or not anybody else found the show 'sensitive' in some parts.

It must be remembered that this is not the first time ICT is performing this show - The 2nd First Annual Bollehwood Awards 2003. A similar show was first performed late last year to hundreds of people, and to our knowledge there was not one complaint in the media.

But then one should not expect anything else of City Hall who seemed hell-bent on outlawing ICT no matter how foolish they look. The direction from City Hall to ICT to delete some parts of the script and to conduct the show in a more "ethical and decent manner and not to cause uneasiness to the public" clearly illustrates that they are culturally illiterate and insensitive.

Any person with a passing interest in theatre would know that a script is more than the sum of its dialogue. To delete certain portions of the dialogue to supposedly take out the 'sensitive' portions might make sense to these uncultured ingrates, but would certainly harm the integrity of the entire show.

How are ICT supposed to know how to perform in an "ethical and decent manner and not to cause uneasiness to the public"? Whose ethics or standard of decency are we talking about here?

Is it based on the standard of the person who wrote the letter to Utusan Malaysia , or the others who did not complain? How on earth is ICT supposed to perform the show to ensure it prevents uneasiness to the public? It is the choice of the audience whether to watch the show? ICT did not force the show on anyone.

What City Hall truly and really wants to do is to stop ICT from performing because they have made a satire on government policies, agencies and some of the local politicians.

So they set impossible conditions for ICT to meet, and when they cannot meet them, they take their license away. That is the real equation of this affair.

We would question City Hall's decision especially in the current climate where crime is rampant. Not a day goes by without several news pieces in the press about people getting killed, maimed, raped, and kidnapped.

The media is filled with propaganda from the ruling parties or reports of chaos, death and destruction in our country. The decision to not issue future performance licenses to ICT would not only be taking away those rare sources of laughter and chuckles in our country, but add another step towards our descent into demagogy.

But it is alright because it lays bare City Hall's typical senselessness in action, and its futile attempt to look as if it is doing something and that something is the right thing.

Looking at the way City Hall has gone after ICT would make one suspect that there is something more cynical to City Hall's actions than meets the eye.

The show was merely a satire, spoof, parody, burlesque - no more no less - but the matters articulated therein are real, another way of looking at Malaysian life and politics and to some extent, true. Can't our authorities hear what is real, that which is an alternative view and the truth?

To our mind, City Hall has been childish. Childishness in dealing especially with public interest issues will only lead to regression in our society. Maybe, maybe just, City Hall should go back and take up classes in performing arts and theatre to understand its true meaning.

Fahri Azzat, Amer Hamzah, Edward Saw, Edmund Bon

Advocates and solicitors of the High Court of Malaya