By: Rosli Mansor and Ahmad Razali
Taiping – The town of Taiping is synonymous with its historical legacy, particularly its tin mining heritage and some of the first historic buildings in Malaysia.
This unique heritage has now been immortalized through a series of captivating murals adorning various locations within this heritage town.
Advisor of the Hasanah Foundation, Tan Sri Datuk Hajah Norliza Rofli, expressed that murals are a form of art capable of attracting the attention of individuals of all ages.
“These murals showcase iconic themes from the history of Taiping, such as the Pangkor Agreement Mural and the First Golf Course Mural in Peninsular Malaysia. In line with the 150th Anniversary of Taiping (1874-2024) and Visit Perak 2024, these murals serve as a medium to convey the early history of Taiping to tourists.
“The Pangkor Agreement Mural is located on the Bee Poh Building along Jalan Ong Saik, while the First Golf Course Mural in Peninsular Malaysia is situated on the Kwangtung Association of Northern Perak Taiping Building on Jalan Tokong,” she stated.
This mural project was made possible through the collaboration of the Taiping Municipal Council (MPT), Kansai Paint Asia Pacific Sdn Bhd, and Puncak Emas Infra Sdn Bhd, with support from the Larut Matang and Selama District Office and Tourism Perak, funded by the Ministry of Tourism, Arts, and Culture Malaysia (MOTAC).
Furthermore, joint planning with Graffite Management is underway to create murals with a similar concept on Jalan Berek and at the Taiping Zoo & Night Safari.
These projects are currently in the planning stage and are expected to receive approval from MPT, with completion anticipated by the end of this year.
“This initiative is also being spearheaded by the Perak State Division of the Retired Non-Pensioned Army Veterans Association (PVTTBM Negeri Perak) in collaboration with ArtsFAS, and these murals will incorporate Augmented Reality (AR).
“The commitment and cooperation of all government agencies are essential to provide more opportunities for Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) to continue such initiatives and to create yet another new tourism product for Taiping,” she affirmed.
