KUCHING: Any creation or artwork to beautify a place or an area should be left alone and protected.
With the beautification process going on at Ban Hock Lane, Kuching City North Commission (DBKU) hopes that members of the public will help them to keep it beautiful and safe from vandalism.
Speaking to reporters after a media visit to the interactive mural at Ban Hock Lane here on Thursday, its commission member Dato Wee Hong Seng said that the mural is public property and that everyone has a duty to protect it.
“If you see anyone trying to deface or vandalise it, please try to stop them or call us or the police.
“There is no point to complain on social media; play a more direct role of sense of belonging as this belongs to all of us,” he said.
The mural project, which is a collaboration between DBKU, Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) Sarawak, and Electra House Sdn Bhd, aims to make the city more beautiful and Wee has called upon members of the public to be more responsible and civic-minded.
“Let’s be good citizens of Kuching here and take the initiative to protect whatever is created for everyone. “It is impossible to ask us to look after it 24 for 24 hours (daily) or to take action against everybody alone, but if we all work together then it is possible,” he said.
Meanwhile, acting DBKU director Jumaini Haili said that they have received funding from the federal government to upgrade back lanes like the one in Ban Hock Lane.
“Before all this started, back lanes like the one in Ban Hock Lane looked unwelcoming and people won’t go there but with the funding we received, we have installed infrastructures like lights and safety mirrors so that the place will feel safer and will become more useful to the community.
“With the help of UiTM Sarawak, Electra House, and the owner of the building, we were able to do the mural painting so that it’ll make the place more beautiful, which will hopefully make more people want to visit here.
“This is more or less one of our achievements in our ‘Clean, Beautiful, and Safe’ (CBS) plan and I feel that this place looks better than it did in the past,” said Jumaini.
The project was initiated last month and is expected to be completed within three months. Those who wish to make a report in case they see anyone trying to vandalise the mural may call DBKU’s 24-hour hotline at (082) 446644 or contact their What’sApp group at 0168864466.
