Wong Hon Wai: Mural panel to strike a balance between arts and heritage

As reported by Malaysiakini   Susan Loone

 Mural panel not to control artists, says board

The newly-formed special committee on murals and artwork within the George Town heritage site should not be perceived as controlling artistic or freedom of expression, said the Penang Museum and Art Gallery Board.

The board’s chairperson Wong Hon Wai said the decision to form a committee headed by George Town World Heritage Incorporated (GWHI) is to avoid “contradictions between art and heritage”.


“I have been to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The graffiti in Rio is something we do not want to happen in George Town,” Wong, who is also a director of GWHI, told Malaysiakini.

“Art is not only about murals, we do not have any limitation with other indoor art activities,” he added.




Wong was also responding to GWHI general manager Lim Chooi Ping who had said yesterday that the committee was to ensure that the murals or artworks within the heritage site do not tarnish the image of the area.

Wong said GWHI should explain more about the committee and that it is necessary for it to have a proper management mechanism.

He said the public can also monitor how many applications have been approved or rejected.

The public can also ask the authorities to clarify the reasons why a mural or artwork had been rejected.


Wong (right), who is Air Itam assemblyperson, said during the last state legislative sitting in November, he had asked about measures taken to manage these murals and artwork within the heritage zone.

He said he asked the question since Ernest Zacharevic’s work, which was exhibited during the annual George Town Festival was well-received.

Zachaveric’s ‘Little Children on a Bicycle’ mural was chosen by the Guardian newspaper as among the top 15 artwork installation in the world, and tourist have been flocking to it to snap photos of themselves with it.

“This is a good thing but we start to worry. As ‘Little Children on a Bicycle’ has been recognised internationally, there are a lot more graffiti which are around without approval on the walls of our old buildings,” Wong explained.

“According to the answer given in the state assembly, the Penang Municipal Council has so far only received two applications and both had been approved,” he added.

“Up to now, no application has even been rejected,” he noted.

Wong said that the public or artists appeared to be less interested in applying for this opportunity although the state government continue to encourage and promote arts and murals in the town.

‘Artworks may affect heritage buildings’

Meanwhile, some heritage lovers have raised their concerns to GWHI that the artworks may affect the heritage buildings.

“Therefore, we need to strike a balance between arts and heritage when both conflict with each other,” Wong said.

“Although artworks can be seen as a complement to heritage, but some fear it might destroy the buildings itself and jeopardise the image and status of the World Unesco heritage site, which the state was awarded in 2008,” he added.

Wong said it was better to let GWHI review the applications as MPPP, which did it previously based on it guidelines, may be “too rigid”.

He added that it was best to allow artists who are members of the committee to conduct “peer review” on the applications.

“People like me had better not sit on the committee,” he quipped.

Artists at A2 Gallery, run by Alfred Yeoh, agreed with the move.

“It’s not about control but of keeping the standards up or else everyone will try to become an artist for instant fame,” Yeoh had said when asked whether artists would feel limited by the presence of the committee.

Kiru Muniandi, a portrait artist from  Bukit Mertajam expressed his concern over the membership of the committee.

“I know people who are aligned with the ‘people in charge’ and some who are not and both sides are non-political,” he said.

“The committee should be representing Penang as a whole. That’s tricky,” he added.

Kiru said he supported the move for any murals to be screened by people who have the credentials to do so.

“Yes, controls are needed, but by whom? That’s what concerns me.”