Theatre groups are planning to call on Kuala Lumpur City Hall bigwig over its latest guidelines, which they say fails to provide clarity on the approval process for performance licences and threatens performers with censorship if their scripts are deemed 'sensitive'.

According to Five Arts Centre executive producer Marion D' Cruz, the arts community is gravely concerned with the changes.

"There is little explanation on how the decision was made, and who made the decision," she said.

But of even greater concern for the arts community, is that the council is prepared to adopt regressive measures by censoring production scripts, she added.

"We plan to take this issue up. There hasn't been enough information to know exactly what this means, but it does feel like we're going to be regressive yet again."

Among the proposed changes, is the setting up of a committee - comprising City Hall representatives and three theatre practitioners - that is empowered to change or delete parts of scripts of performances.

14 days before show

According to The Star , Kuala Lumpur Mayor Mohmad Shaid Mohd Taufek said: "If the script is evaluated and found that there are sensitive elements, we will request the applicant to change the script ... if they refuse ... we will not approve their application."

The mayor also announced that full scripts are required to be submitted at least 14 days before performances in order to be granted a licence.

Instant Caf Theatre director Jo Kukathas said the council's announcement that they are willing to censor, clearly amounts to curbing of fundamental liberties and is not welcomed in a post-colonial climate.

As times have changed, City Hall should not be intent on reviving outdated censorship laws, said Kukathas, who is also director of the Bolehwood play made controversial by a short-lived City Hall decision to ban the group.

"Why are we reinforcing these controls?" she said.

"City Hall says that they are doing this for the public, but who are they to say what the public wants?"

Moral guardians

Kukathas said the mayor's announcement that permit applications need to be made at least 14 days prior to the staging of the production fail to resolve the real problems faced by theatre groups when dealing with the council.

"We still don't know when City Hall is going to get back to us on the permit. Is it going to be the day before? Three days before?"

D' Cruz said people have a choice over the kind of performances they would like to watch - it is needless for City Hall to act as moral guardians to audiences that require 'protection'.

"Certainly the earlier statements by the mayor (on Bolehwood ) indicated that we are maturing as a people," she said.

"And then came the 2004 Budget which proposed the removal of the entertainment tax - something which we have been fighting for since the 60s and 70s - and the additional RM80 million funding for arts training.

"This was a crucial validation for theatre in the country," she added.

Script, then synopsis

D' Cruz also warns that City Hall's changing of positions and conflicting statements over permit procedures, makes the public wary over decisions made by the city's sole licensing body.

"A long time ago, we were required to hand in a script, but this was changed and we were only needed to hand in a synopsis.

"But right after the Vagina Monologues debacle , the policy requiring scripts to be submitted was reintroduced," she said.

Despite numerous changes, she added, the council would not explain their reasons.

"Then following ICT's Bolehwood , the council came up with a decision to ban all future productions by the company," said D'Cruz.

"But the mayor reversed the decision because he said he did not know about it. And then after that he changed his stance on the production."

A few days after an interview with Malay Mail in which Mohmad Shaid said there was nothing offensive in the show, the mayor changed his stance and argued the production should be wary of social sensitivities that should not be crossed.

"As practitioners, we like to believe that we're moving towards greater validation and more space for our work. However, the latest proposal is a great cause for concern," said D'Cruz.

"A nation that is fearful of any kind of self-critique, if it fails to look at itself critically, then it is a society that begins to die."

Mohmad Shaid could not be reached for comment.