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.
