On my recent movie outing for ‘Dark Night’ at a local cinema in Kuala Lumpur recently, I was surprised to find underage kids averaging around 4 to 6 years old to be among the audience.

I saw these poor children helplessly cowering in their seats throughout the various vivid and sadistic scenes of violence, especially the scene where there were significant visual and aural clues that the Joker had fatally and sadistically mutilated one of his adversaries’ orifice with his jack knife.

We can’t expect these immature kids to appreciate the psycho-pathological gore of ‘Dark Night’ as our own matured, interpreted version of philosophical undertones to the larger-than-life conflict between good and evil.

I am perplexed to learn how the movie ever got a ‘Universal ‘(Untuk Tayangan Umum, Sesuai Untuk Tontonan Semua Lapisan Masyarakat) rating by our Film Censorship Board when the movie’s motion picture ratings in the UK and the US bar viewing to those under the age of 12 and 13 respectively.

Our outdoor advertisements do not escape such a predicament as well. Last year, I noticed a luxury item advertisement suggesting an undressed caucasian couple in sexual foreplay position right next to the Langkawi International Airport’s main entrance.

Certain English dailies, including a widely-distributed free newspaper, allocate highly visible reading space to liquor advertorials which depict the allurement of a more aspired and practical lifestyle, instead of any hint or warning of substance abuse which is one of the biggest factors that contributes to our social woes.

These materials are unsuitable for general viewing, as they are indiscriminately target everyone including young kids whose sexual maturity and decision making capabilities are in their infancies.

Not forgetting practicing Muslims who are commanded by their religion to avoid from being approached by such inappropriate materials.

There is a dire need for more comprehensive audience rating and filtering system to be implemented in this country.

The authorities involved must be willing to include public participation in managing the censorship of sensitive materials involving sex, violence, substance abuse, profanity, impudence and other types of mature content.