Debated in Parliament on 16 Nov 2012.
Ms Faizah Jamal asked the Minister for National Development (a) what is the rationale for URA's decision to allow graffiti art on the wall of a shophouse in Haji Lane; (b) which shophouses will be painted with the nine murals that are commissioned in tandem with the Kampung Glam Business Association; (c) whether the Ministry can clarify on (i) the parties that the commissioning of the murals have been awarded to and (ii) what is meant by "supported by the community" in URA's statement on the commissioning of the murals; and (d) what plans does URA have to provide for clearer and more consistent conservation guidelines.
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Sir, the URA has broad guidelines for murals on conserved shophouses, requiring such murals to respect the site context and contribute to the character of the place. These guidelines are broad so as to accommodate the many creative ideas raised by artists, owners and tenants in the open discussions which URA have with them on proposed mural designs at different sites.
The existing mural arts at Haji Lane were commissioned by the owners and tenants. As the area has become a niche for commercial outlets associated with the creative community, the murals were deemed by URA to be appropriate to the context and character of the area. They are also well-received by the wider community.
The Kampong Glam Business Association (KGBA) has approached the URA to set up a mural arts programme to further improve the aesthetics of the existing mural arts in the area. The association's plans are still preliminary. The URA is facilitating a meeting between the association and some key stakeholders later this month to discuss and understand the plans.
Developing conservation guidelines that find an appropriate balance between heritage conservation and artistic expression will always be challenging. The URA will continue to work closely with the community, professional bodies and interest groups to refine, enhance and clarify these guidelines over time.
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I thank the Senior Parliamentary Secretary for the reply. I have two clarifications to make. I understand that, at first, they were not allowed to have the murals and that was the reason why URA came in quite strongly to say they had to do something about it. And then, there was a change of mind about it and they were allowed to keep the murals.
My clarification is: what is the reason for the change in decision from not allowing to allowing? The question I want to ask is: does it mean that this is actually a relaxation of the guidelines under the URA guidelines on the website which defines it as "traditional hues"? If so, is this a recognition that there are certain aspects of Kampung Glam that, in its essence, are different from other parts of Kampung Glam and this is something that URA is, in fact, encouraging?
Sir, URA tries to strike that balance, as I have mentioned. So, the guidelines were put on the website, and some of the owners of the buildings and tenants have proposed to paint according to the guidelines.
The guidelines are really to recommend best practices for the tenants and building owners to maintain the conservation of buildings, with preferred painting schemes for front facades so that the historic architectural features are suitably enhanced. When the building owners decided to paint the murals, it was following the interpretation of the guidelines. There were some reactions. But by and large, the patrons and the community were supportive. URA came in and said, "yes, you can continue". Then, the KGBA came forward recently to say it wants to enhance it. It wanted the Mural Arts Programme for the area.
URA is very keen to allow community ownership of spaces, at the same time, striking that balance between what is conservation and allowing for artistic expression. As we move forward, what is important is the ownership of the space, that is, the community takes ownership. In this case, for example, the Kampung Glam Business Association is taking ownership. They want to enhance the area. But because they want to do more, what is important is for us to then engage stakeholders. And when we engage stakeholders, we want the stakeholders to come forward and see what is useable, what is nice and, at the same time, not compromise the conservation and heritage nature of the area.
When the Senior Parliamentary Secretary mentioned about "community", may I seek a clarification as to whether it meant beyond the Kampung Glam Business Association. Kampung Glam is now no longer the residential area that it used to be before. It is now very much business. So, when we say "community", do we mean the business community or the Malay-Muslim community or do we mean the ethnic community? What is the definition?
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We look at it broadly, both the geographical as well as the community of stakeholders, those who are interested in the area. Today, the business community is one that promotes it, meaning the artistic groups that are there. So, when we look at the "community", it is actually engaging people who are keen to make sure that the place thrives in every aspect for different stakeholders. Therein lies the challenge, because the more stakeholders there are, the more challenging it gets. What is useful is the engagement. URA is facilitating that engagement to ensure that different stakeholders bring to the table what their interests and concerns are. At the same time, the broad guideline is that we want to encourage artistic expressions, not compromising the original intent of the place. And the artistic expression must enhance the facade and even the current conditions or the way it looks.
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