KUALA LUMPUR, July 20 — The police are investigating the recent defacement of a mural featuring Malaysian leaders in Shah Alam, after the incident went viral and triggered anger online.
Shah Alam police district chief ACP Baharudin Mat Taib confirmed a police report was filed over the matter today at 10am.
“The local authorities have taken action to clean up and paint over the wall upon which the defacement occurred,” he said in a statement.
Baharudin added the investigation will be conducted under Section 504/427 of the Penal Code, which carries a prison sentence of no less than one year and no more than five, a fine, or both penalties.
“Those with further information may contact ASP Yong Meng Heng at 019-5753399, or the nearest police station,” he said.
The mural featured six Malaysian leaders, including PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang, Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, Yang Di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al Mustafa Billah Shah, Health director-general Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah, Senior Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob, and Islamic Affairs Minister Datuk Zulkifli Mohamad al-Bakri.
A short video clip taken before the defaced murals were painted over showed the eyes of Abdul Hadi, Muhyiddin, the Agong, and Dr Noor Hisham crossed out with red graffiti. In the case of Abdul Hadi and the Agong, the word ‘babi’ was scrawled beside them, while on Dr Noor Hisham’s face the word ‘bangsat’ could be seen.
It appears the vandalisers ran out of spray paint, as a half-formed word could be seen in between the space of Dr Noor Hisham and Ismail Sabri, while Zulkifli’s mural was untouched.
The mural first came to attention earlier this month after painters Muhammad Suhaimi Ali, Abdul Hadi Ramli and Muhamad Firdaus Nordin, made the mural as a gesture of appreciation towards the country’s leaders and fellow Malaysians for their contributions.
Among those who were reported to have visited the mural include both the Agong and Dr Noor Hisham, after the mural went viral online with over 17,500 retweets.
