It was with exasperation that I read in the New Straits Times on Aug 28 that proprietors of Malaccan restaurants had been directed to remove beer advertisements with 'communal sensitivities and excessive advertising of beer' as the reason for the directive.

Furthermore, Malacca Historic City Council secretary Azmi Hussin said that he 'hoped everyone would accept it without turning the matter into an issue.'

The request for silence and simple acceptance of a directive reflects that which has been inculcated into Malaysians at every turn from family, school and university, to workplace and further.

Namely, that we must not question authority, even if the order or request is outrageous.

That aspect of the report is as worrying as the second, more obvious aspect. That is, the fact that the directive represented the further erosion of the rights of all Malaysians (even though it may seem like a segment of the population).