Some 50 individuals belonging to Kuala Lumpur's performing arts groups today registered strong disapproval over City Hall's decision to censor performances in the wake of a threatened ban on Instant Caf Theatre in late July.

This has been buttressed by the local authority's more recent decision to enforce guidelines on content and to form a review committee to scrutinise scripts before permits are issued.

At a press conference today, the groups disclosed that 242 individuals have signed a public petition condemning City Hall's latest decision as being "out of step".

"Not only does society not want bureaucrats to 'protect' them from the arts, but City Hall's latest move was made without any consultation with the public," said the groups.

"That (City Hall) does not understand the maturity of Malaysia's audiences was clear from the public outcry in July when it attempted to ban the work of Instant Caf Theatre."

"In response to the public debate (then), the Mayor himself had come out in support of the need for more progressive liberal attitudes saying: 'We KLites must be broad-minded and liberal enough to accept such shows'."

'Narrowing discussion'

City Hall's codification of rules on applications for performance permits is now seen as drastically narrowing what can be discussed in theatre.

Under the new guidelines, performers are forbidden from lampooning politicians or any of the policies made by those in power.

The guidelines insist that artistes "do not ridicule, put to contempt, disrepute or shame heads of states". These further bar performers from impinging "on policy and administration of (the) nation."

All laws, and issues related to the laws of the state, are also out of bounds of artistic comment, while scripts cannot touch on 'racial sensitivity', religious beliefs or edicts, or the royalty.

Performances cannot use "obscene/vulgar and lewd terminology", and neither can these "act out" any such references.

A committee of councillors and three theatre professionals have been appointed and empowered by City Hall to make reject, alter or censor scripts.

Inconsistent move

Theatre groups reject these moves on the grounds that the guidelines leave performers with no room to engage on issues of the day.

"Artists speak about identity - in talking about race or religion, about culture and ethnicity, we engage in a discussion about our true selves...the arts can contribute to a national dialogue, if only it is not gagged," they said.

The groups want a public dialogue with City Hall, saying that its decision-making process is not sufficiently transparent.

Kathy Rowland of online arts magazine kakiseni said attempts to draw out information from City Hall have proved to be an uphill task.

"Our lawyers have been trying to get (the latest proposals) from City Hal but they have refused to give this to us," she said, noting that theatre groups were only aware of the guidelines and review committee when contacted for comments by the media..

Five Arts Centre executive producer Marion D'Cruz described the move as being inconsistent with the proposed Budget 2004 allocation of RM80.3 million to develop the arts.

"We all want to reach a point where there should be no need to hand in scripts to be vetted. We show signs that we are a maturing society, and yet we have a real disease in wanting to censor all that we do not agree with," she said.

Classical dancer Ramli Ibrahim said policy-makers should learn to trust performers or at least allow audiences to be the judge of what may be deemed 'offensive'.

He said if City Hall continues to insist on its role as the guardian of morality and remains ignorant of the pulse of the country, then this would be "no better than what PAS is doing in Terengganu or Kelantan".

"Art will elicit complex responses from various people. You can have the same show and the same people, but a different audience will get different responses," said Instant Caf Theatre producer Jo Kukathas.

"Shouldn't City Hall be unclogging drains so that theatres do not get flooded ? Let us progress without constantly having to string up paternalistic guidelines to keep us at puberty."