‘Malaysia’s Banksy’ Brings Art Lovers—and Overtourism—to Penang

December 14, 2020

Ernest Zacharevic is a Lithuanian-born artist who made his mark creating iconic street murals on the island of Penang in Malaysia. Despite good intentions, Zacharevic’s work prompted the rise of tourist attractions that lack the soul and authenticity that made Penang a UNESCO World Heritage Site in the first place.

The iconic “Little Children on a Bicycle” mural in Penang. Yaopey Yong. Unsplash.

Penang’s historical capital, George Town, was officially inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2008. Since the 18th century, this Malaysian city has been a prolific hub of cultural and commercial exchange. Today, it remains a multicultural hot spot. George Town is also home to a unique layout of mixed architecture that also reflects the region’s history. From its colonial-style British office buildings to its rustic Chinese shophouses, George Town’s mismatched grid of alleyways and side streets bolsters the place’s almost stuck in time sentiment. To further enhance George Town and its diverse history, the George Town Festival was launched in 2010 as a platform for dance, theater and other regional artistic endeavors.

In the midst of this budding art movement, Lithuanian-born artist Ernest Zacharevic began to make his literal mark on the walls of George Town. As an experimentalist known by some as “Malaysia’s Banksy,” Zacharevic’s style revolves around ever-changing concepts, manifesting in his preference for outdoor art. Zacharevic’s primary interest lies in the relationship between art and the urban landscape. Consequently, he mainly flits between stencil, spray and other types of tools conducive to dynamic and public pieces.

One of the more famous interactive pieces. Yaopey Yong. Unsplash.

Although local pieces funded by Sculpture At Work also grace the walls of George Town, Zacharevic’s pieces are the main attraction thanks to the George Town Festival 2012 project “Mirrors George Town.” His iconic and sometimes interactive pieces like “Little Children on a Bicycle” and “Brother and Sister on a Swing” became hot-ticket items for both visitors and locals alike to experience. The open-air exhibitions became so popular that various travel blogs offered the best walking maps for viewing the murals.

“The Little Boy with Pet Dinosaur” and “Boy on a Bike” murals side by side. Travelationship. CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.

In 2013, Chairman of Penang Global Tourism Ooi Geok Ling felt that Ernest Zacharevic “captured the essence of Penang. I know he spent a lot of time here, soaking it all in when he was visiting. He could translate that into his murals.” Ling also believed that Zacharevic’s influence would also help to expand the reach of local artists and small galleries in the city. Indeed, most of Zacharevic’s pieces are reflective of the city and country’s diverse populace. Murals portray children cycling through the city, a painter attending to a pair of clogs, and even more modern scenes of phone booths and curious cats.

Since the creation of these murals, Penang has experienced an influx of “Instagram tourists” and the subsequent boom of businesses that cater to them. The town’s soul, as the South China Morning Post wrote, has been “warped.” Before the worldwide lockdown, older buildings in George Town had begun renovating in a way that catered to foreign tastes. Cookie-cutter coffee shops, museums and art galleries began lining the centuries-old landscape, sapping away at the gritty authenticity of the once safely obscure town.

In response to this commercialization, Ernest Zacharevic made a statement on his Instagram in July 2019. He lamented, “Myself and many others blame my work for Armenian Street being a center of [the] tourist route in Penang.” He called the construction of Instagram-friendly places a “circus” and a threat to George Town’s status as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Since the worldwide lockdown, however, locals have made it back into the spotlight. Though the Penang economy today is largely devoid of tourist dollars, the city is also free of the overtourism and traffic jams that congested its streets. Nikkei Asia reports that locals now have the chance to reclaim spaces that gentrification took away. Hawker stalls and other peddlers are also refocusing on the needs of residents and the smaller but more consistent business they provide. Local shopkeepers feel that the lockdown has provided the city an unexpected but much-needed reset button. In the wake of this worldwide pause, locals are starting to explore more sustainable possibilities—ones that don’t compromise the historical integrity of George Town or the well-being of its residents.

Malaysian Princess Condemns Suicide Criminalization

October 15, 2020

Malaysia is one of three Southeast Asian countries that still criminalizes suicide. To fight stigmas, mental health advocates have been pushing for reform and a more efficient health care system.

Pedestrians milling about a street market in Kuala Lumpur. Trey Ratcliff. CC BY-NC-SA 2.0.

On Sept. 10, World Suicide Prevention Day, Malaysian Princess Tengku Puteri Iman Afzan was appointed as the country’s international patron for World Mental Health Day 2020. This nomination was an encouraging sign for Malaysian mental health advocates for many reasons.

As a former British colony, Malaysia has codified an antiquated law criminalizing suicide. In Section 309 of Malaysia’s Penal Code, those who attempt and survive suicide must serve one year in prison, pay a fine, or both. Almost 60% of Malaysia’s population practices Islam, and suicide goes against the religion’s belief in the sanctity of life. Despite the stigma of suicide as a “sin,” a national study estimates that every day 10 people take their own lives. Subsequently, many human rights groups like the National Human Rights Society (HAKAM) and Minda are dedicated to raising mental health awareness and literacy. Activists hope that proper education will dispel the negative stereotypes that are preventing many from seeking the help they need.

Worshippers outside of a mosque in Malaysia. Firdaus Latif. CC BY-SA 2.0.

In an interview with The Guardian, chairman Justin Victor of emotional support hotline group Befrienders Kuala Lumpur, said that criminalization “is a deterrent to being able to speak about [suicide] openly.” Many individuals who survive are reluctant to seek help, fearing they could be charged again.

In the wake of the COVID-19 lockdown, the need for mental health care reform was made more apparent. Shahfirul Hakim Shahidan, 28, attempted suicide after facing unemployment. He was charged with “inconveniencing” others and fined 3,000 ringgit ($720). If Shahidan failed to pay, he would be jailed. The sentence was met with public outcry. Minds First, a youth group advocating for mental health awareness, organized a Change.org petition demanding the decriminalization of suicide. In its statement, the group argued that the “criminalization of suicide punishes those who need help and prevents them from getting the support they need.”

As of Oct. 11, the petition had gained nearly 19,000 signatures.

The skyline of Malaysia’s capital, Kuala Lumpur. Salehi Hassan. CC BY-NC 2.0.

Quarantine isolation has exacerbated existing mental health challenges. Befrienders Kuala Lumpur reported an increase in calls when the government first enforced social distancing measures. Publicity director Ardy Ayadali explained, “Being in isolation increases the fear and helplessness that someone feels … when someone is isolated in crowded families or spaces, the environment can get toxic.”

During the pandemic, however, Malaysia also launched its first mental health helpline for children. Buddy Bear is a hotline that lets children discuss whatever social and emotional issues they have, and gives advice on how they can deal with them. With professionally trained volunteers, children learn how to articulate and understand their feelings with a healthy approach.

Accordingly, many felt that Iman’s appointment would aid Malaysia’s advocacy work in mental health care. The princess has also struggled with anxiety and shared that although she is no longer ashamed of her troubles, she also knows “what it’s like to feel disempowered.” Iman noted that stigma was one of the biggest hurdles and applauded Malaysians’ struggle to attain mental health rights. During her acceptance speech, the princess publicly called for the decriminalization of suicide.

Rhiannon Koh

earned her B.A. in Urban Studies & Planning from UC San Diego. Her honors thesis was a speculative fiction piece exploring the aspects of surveillance technology, climate change, and the future of urbanized humanity. She is committed to expanding the stories we tell.

Rohingya Muslims Trapped At Sea For Months While Fleeing Myanmar

June 25, 2020

Since February, Rohingya Muslims have been stuck at sea while fleeing persecution in Myanmar due to COVID-19.

Rohingya Muslims refugee boats. United to End Genocide. CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

Since the mid-1820s Myanmar has looked down on the Rohingya Muslims, who were once laborers under the area’s British colonization. Following independence in 1948, the Buddhist-majority government began to deny citizenship to Rohingya who had come to live in the country. They could hold identification cards yet this severely diminished job prospects and even places where they could live. Eventually, they would settle within the Rakhine state.

It led to crackdowns in the 1970s to get the Rohingya out of Myanmar. It began with rapes, murders and arsons by government security forces. As a result, the Rohingya began fleeing into Bangladesh, Thailand and Malaysia.

Refugee camp in Bangladesh. UN Women Asia & The Pacific. CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

The most notable and deadliest crackdown occurred in August 2017 when Myanmar began to conduct an ethnic cleansing against the Rohingya. It began when Rohingya militants attacked 30 Myanmar police posts. The Rohingya as a whole were labeled as terrorists and the ethnic cleansing began. According to Doctors Without Borders, approximately 6,700 Rohingya were killed, along with the rape and abuse of many more Rohingya women and girls. Since 2017, Myanmar’s government has refused to take responsibility for the ethnic cleansing, including de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi who was once seen as a human rights advocate. They have even gone to the extent of highlighting the Rakhine state as a stable tourist location.

In 2018, the U.N. accused Myanmar’s military of conducting genocide and rapes. With failure to acknowledge the claims, the court ordered Myanmar to take measures to protect the Rohingya from being persecuted. Yet, the conflict is still ongoing which has led to more people fleeing.

In February 2020, Rohingya were boarding boats in Southeast Asia to head out of Myanmar. This has been a trend for years with most voyages occurring from November to April when the seas are calm. Around 730,000 Rohingya make the trip every year out of Rakhine state since 2017, hoping to reach Malaysia, Thailand or Indonesia. Bangladeshi refugee camps have become less popular due to overcrowding, with nearly a million refugees living there. However, due to COVID-19, many Rohingya have been stranded offshore due to borders closing to try to contain the virus. The location of many of these boats is not even known since they were not able to dock right away.

Traffickers have begun to demand money from the families of those on board in order to get them off. Essentially, these traffickers have turned these boats into their own camps where those on board are held hostage until payment. The cost for one person is 12,000 ringgit ( $2,800). Those on the boats have been rationing food and water since April with many people still dying. Unfortunately, many are unsure if there is a guarantee to get their families off the boats.

There is also the harsh reality that those who end up off the boats could be sent back to Myanmar. Currently, Malaysia is currently considering sending Rohingya back to sea due to COVID-19 concerns after 269 ended up on its shores. It has asked Bangladesh to take back refugees who have traveled, but Bangladesh has refused. The boats were damaged on the journey but once repaired, could be forced to go back out to sea with their boats resupplied.

Human Rights Watch, however, has called on Malaysia and Thailand to allow the Rohingya refugees on land. HRW has acknowledged that the one most responsible is Myanmar, but it is the duty of neighboring countries to take in and protect refugees who are seeking asylum.