SINGAPORE: The Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) is re-evaluating its position over a Chinatown shophouse mural depicting a young samsui woman smoking, due to recent public feedback.
The authority had earlier given the landlord a deadline to erase the cigarette from the artwork....
The initial order by URA to erase the cigarette came to light after Mr Dunston highlighted the incident on Instagram two days ago, sparking plenty of debate and discussion online.
His post went viral, garnering more than 3,000 likes as of Saturday morning, with many people leaving comments supportive of his work. CNA
Wow, 3,000 likes shocked the URA to review this wall mural that is directly promoting smoking when smoking is practically banned in most parts of the island. Singapore has been progressing very well in ridding the city state from this foul, dirty and smelly habit that is as anti social as chewing gums. Other than the foul smell and stench of butts that affect everyone in the vicinity, even in HDB flats, the cigarette butts, plastic lighters and associated waste and leftovers are all over the island, in lifts, in street paths, roads, parks, beaches, carparks, staircases, corridors, void decks, everywhere.
Only Lee Kuan Yew has the stature and determination to stamp out this dirty and smelly habit. No one dared to smoke in his presence. This is one of his legacy that would be well for his clean and healthy city state. Now because of an angmoh and 3,000 likes, URA's legs are wobbling. How can offend an angmoh and his 3,000 likely supporters? Who would likely be the supporters of a smoking young woman disguised innocently as a samsui woman?
What is the subtle message behind this mural? Some see a young prostitute with a cigarette in hand, a reminder of the sleazy past of Keong Siak Road. The samsui women of the past were weather beaten and harden women, and most of them did not smoke and would not pose like prostitutes. They were proud of themselves as independent and hardworking women, proud of their profession. It is insulting to depict them looking like prostitutes.
Would the URA slap Lee Kuan Yew in the face now that he was gone? Bring back smoking and the sleaze that he had removed from the public eyes and reinstate them proudly in giant size wall mural, to please the angmoh and smokers? How about painting more rainbows and marihuana plants on the walls of HDB flats to beautify the estates and call them art, like this mural? It would even be better to relocate this wall mural to the memorial site of the founding fathers of Singapore....and allow cigarettes to be sold openly, complemented with advertisements and big revenue for the tax department. Media Corp production can also have actors and actresses smoking like prostitutes and gangsters of the past.
What is the intention of the painter? Many painters have hidden messages in their works. Hope URA is not so naive to be duped into doing something undesirable for Singapore. Lee Kuan Yew would be turning in his grave.
What do you think? A single post like this would not be able to defeat 3,000 likes in Instagram, ...and the smoking young prostitute, oops, smoking young samsui woman, would remain untouched, unedited. It would be a great tourist attraction in Chinatown.
The westerner's mural depicts the respected historical local samsui woman as a whore . . .
ReplyDeleteWanted to see gruesome grafifti and obsene artworks?
ReplyDeleteThen come to the UAssA where their cities, their so called rubbish dump subways and tents cities are full of their uncivilised art murals.
Come on, in the 50s and 60s so common to see most of the Peasants and commoners smoked!
Even we youngsters brought ice cold at ten cts two sticks and hide some where and smoked.
This Samsui woman is taking a breather and enjoyed her puffs, a well deserved luxury puff before resuming her hard labours.
Whats so sinful of this?
Besides thid smoking what's other luxuries we poor beans have?
Oh, forgot another free and easy luxury to have dozens of children.
Ya, that's the only real enjoyments that the first one and two generations have lest those rich ones who can have their Rich Capitalist Men's Club at Bukit Pasoh and Keong Siak Street.
Thats why the brothels blosomed.
Now smokers are been casted as outclasts due to the hyprocitcal attitude of the masses.
Do not be easily duped by foreigners. They are not stupid and things that appeared innocent and innocuous could have some hidden messages. Remember, many of them are on the American US$1.5b propaganda payroll, churning out items to undermine and destabilise countries and societies.
ReplyDeleteWho the hell authorised an angmoh to paint about samsui women when there are so many good local artistes available? What is so special about having an angmoh to paint a samsui woman?
Why out of the blue, a young smoking samsui woman appeared in a mural? What on earth is happening?
Be careful of external agents trying to meddle and interfere with the social balance of our society.
https://vt.tiktok.com/ZSYaVKmMj/
ReplyDeleteCannot smoke cigarette ah?
But can poke Cuban cigar into the Black Hole of Calcutta!
This angmoh is masturbating in public under the guise of art.
ReplyDeleteThe angmoh is fantasising about samsui women.
ReplyDelete