Smoking samsui woman mural to be retained in full, building owner fined for not seeking approval

The Urban Redevelopment Authority and the Health Ministry is allowing the mural of a samsui woman holding a cigarette to stay as it is, without modifications. But the URA has slapped a $2,000 fine on the owner of the South Bridge Road property for carrying out unauthorised works on a conserved building. The authorities said they decided to retain the mural by Singapore-based American artist Sean Dunston because the work is largely seen as an art piece, and not as an advertisement for tobacco.

[@truthseeker000000]

How is the samsui woman holding a lit cigarette in the mural "glorifying" cigarette smoking?? I'm not a cigarette smoker and hate smoking and would never encourage anyone to smoke. But, all said, we do need to relook many of our "narrow minded" views on some of these archaic regulations and laws.

[@RealRick0408]

This is like Singapore version of “yellow washing” Back in that era, even smoking opium is not uncommon.

[@han-chan872]

Authorities : Art depicting Smoking = ohhh it’s promoting smoking, fine $2000… actual people smoking at their windows resulting in 2nd hand smoke = nah it’s not illegal

[@JojoJoget]

Also PAP: smoking bad, go buy at 7/11 with tax then i look the other way

[@jer2911.L]

@@JojoJoget Medical fact. Smoking causes cancer.

[@blilasg8956]

did u not play the video? "The Urban Redevelopment Authority and the Health Ministry is allowing the mural of a samsui woman holding a cigarette to stay as it is, without modifications. But the URA has slapped a $2,000 fine on the owner of the South Bridge Road property for carrying out unauthorised works on a conserved building."

[@han-chan872]

@blilasg8956 no i didnt, and yes i like to anyhow post sentimental comments so what 🥱

[@JojoJoget]

@@blilasg8956if its unauthorized, why are they telling them to change it?

[@kongthai..]

People do smoke in the old days. The mural isn't an advertisement. Don't be too sensitive. 😢

[@benjaminkswong3592]

The one complaining can only see the lady in red tops as old people who still have to work to their death, we don't need such mentality, would the people had preferred old ladies with cleaning carts .. the samsui women were young when they came to work ...

[@PJWALL89]

Beautiful art work ❤..

[@martinarchie2902]

“That’s the truth, it’s accurate and part of our real history. Don’t deny this country its truth. Confront it fearlessly and be proud of who we are,” SeeToh

[@wills2408]

The painting does not make one think of a real Samsui woman. Why is the cigarette even necessary? One does not think of a cigarette when one thinks of a Samsui woman. The mural did not capture the essence of a Samsui woman. Ridiculous reason. Next time people will paint a mural without asking for permission as long as they are prepared to be fined.

[@user-ri9kt7fz1l]

That mural should be erased. It is unfair and an insult to the people it is portraying. Samsui women is a story of human spirit struggling and overcoming circumstances staked against them,. These women were poor, uneducated and unskilled. But they have the spirit to overcome these disadvantages. They boldly left their homeland for strange foreign land to make a living for themselves as well as supporting those back come. They did it through hard and honest work. There are several murals about them in Chinatown but none of them do justice to the women. It's time for one that does. A mural about them should exude the spirit of a woman struggling against odds staked against her. One showing a Samsui woman working under hot sun, carrying heavy construction material while wiping away the sweat on her forehead and eyebrows with the sleeve of her shirt with a look of defiance on her face, would be more accurate and appropriate. How can an American artist be aware of such background of the subject he is portraying? When his mural was criticised by the locals and threatened to be erased by the public authority, he took it to Instagram to air his objection. Those Singaporeans who support him are only showing their colonial slave mentality. They are thinking along this line. "He is an American you know. After the Briitish, the Americans are our overlord. How can our authority not allow him to do what he likes?"

[@anglo-saxonconnor817]

The property is private property and some samsui women do smoke in life and some of them were once young and hot too before they took up the vow to stay single and went on to work as samsui women. What is there to fine to begin with actually? Serious the mob lynching mentality some of the public have as well as the reactive response of the authorities really are disappointing to witness.

[@anglo-saxonconnor817]

Murals can be expression of art as well as memoirs of the past. This mural beside being beautiful is also historically accurate. I have seen samsui women smoking before before the last of them went back to China or die off in Singapore by the 1990s. Why are people so closed minded and punish such a well meaning and well spirited incident? I find it regretful to know of this news which have recently made headline on social media.

[@anglo-saxonconnor817]

Singapore can never change.... The people in it are incapable of true fundamental change.

[@jamie68560]

because singapore is a conservative country and the people are 3rd world mentality in 1st world nation, unfortunately.

[@mhattjeremie9883]

Should paint an original memorial of a Samsui women at work showing authentic history of singapore. This kind of art is meant for personal branding with a modern touch.

[@xianlonglee-n6h]

Smoking weed is actually not as bad as media portrays it. It helps people relax, control pain, and quit substance abuse.

[@jer2911.L]

Speaking from experience?

[@xueling02able]

Its a lovely mural in terms of its art work but it fails to portray the essence of being a samsui woman...hardworking, long suffering and sacrificial. In fact this gigantic mural is giving out a wrong message as it focuses on their bad habits and it also goes against our country's anti smoking culture.

[@acuriousdumbass6230]

i mean… it is art right? putting aside the govt attempts to reduce smoking, its been raised that the image of a samsui woman as suggested is stereotypical and sterilised? the fact that the “essence” of samsui women is a woman more wrinkles than features working hard under gruelling conditions is fine, but the fact this art presents something else that is distinctly different yet still accurate to the history of samsui women is a good thing. the point of art is to make us think and i would think that this piece’s ability to make us re-examine our conception of samsui women is really freaking cool

[@boyan619]

$2,000 fine only??? Very CHEAP...

[@nwyk153]

ok(???)

[@JojoJoget]

You pay la

[@Nameles84]

Its still consider a slap on the wrist since rules were broken for not applying permit. They did not enforce the other rules like vandalism acts etc... into it, which will be heathy.

[@kriswatson2899]

How is anti-smoking different from anti-durgs ? Both are 'anti' but smoking is allowed as long as you pay the authorities $$$ in the form of tax.... whether art or live smoking. Hope authorities dont impose fine on smoking.

[@randysaur]

Start a crowd funding and help the owner pay the 2000$

[@jamie68560]

owner can afford it lah wth. 2000 is not even one month's rent per lot here, pls be serious. This 2000 fine is symbolic, and just URA trying to cover their ass and enact some silly protocol they had, for some reason, overlooked or something.

[@tonykwok9763]

Jinx yeo.....talk show on this topic..... laugh until your stomach🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣art police......🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@ysngngys7753]

yaya....nice nuancing...still seen as a u-turn.

[@kriswatson2899]

Wondering if making a movie in Singapore with the hero smoking will be fined ?

[@ivychua4091]

" FINE " city 👏

[@ABC-ed8cg]

Can just paint over with something else. What’s the hooha about

[@athenateng7681]

Could you think make the difference between art and billboard 😂😂😂. Think twice

[@fidelcatsro6948]

Marlboro woman..

[@NewmaticKe]

This pose is for a burlesque dancer, not samsui woman

[@riddlekillerkiller]

The only "speculative" reason why the URA took note of it was because someone "important" complained about it. Why else would the URA act lol. Anti smoking my ass 😂 if you want anti smoking do what you done with vaping.

[@tazragames6770]

Plenty drama out of nothing to distract from other more important issues. Stop this childish drama.

[@tonykwok9763]

PROS.....KEONG SIAK ROAD.....NOT CONSTRUCTION SITES🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣DEFINITELY NOT RED CAPPED CHINESE WORKERS.....PIONEERS OF SINGAPORE.....HALLELUJAH😇😇😇😇😇

[@liarliar3412]

There is no statistics to indicate that Samsui women who smoked cigerattes did not live longer than the Samsui women who didn't smoke.

[@tayspiderx]

Din seek approval.... such foolish thinking

[@tonykwok9763]

😇YYC.....👍👍👍👍👍😭😭😭😭😭MICHAELANGELO OF CHINATOWN + HIS....TORIES OF SINGAPORE👍👍👍👍👍

[@liar-liar]

Where KTV butterflies came from

[@martinarchie2902]

For accuracy’s sake, the Makansutra founder agreed that the cigarette should be removed from the painting but also said that it should be replaced with “anghoon, the affordable roll-up tobacco smokes they are known to puff after a long day of hard work.”

[@jer2911.L]

Seetoh is full of BS.

[@JojoJoget]

Its the fkin same thing

[@sekru5919]

I think painting samsui woman smoking is not a very good message to ban smoking , any public art should at least not promoting any unhealthy habits among public or mislead or attract public to smoking as a form of "art". However his other artworks look quite authentic and valuable to history of Singapore. I think some rules must be at least laid down clearly for artists like him to continue his work as well as preventing from being fined without any guidelines given.

[@jamie68560]

you see cigarette butt and packaging in the dustbin and road and online means people will start smoking issit? please don't be a karen

[@sekru5919]

@@jamie68560 I think at least the image of the cigarette should be rubbed if it was not common for samsui women smoke while they were idle . If yes, the image should rather be painted in a smaller size as I think what is the message in this mural trying to tell ? That is the most important point to me. It would be pointless to tell people the samsui women just liked smoking despite their hard-working image that is being portraited in public. Anyway, just my personal opinion .Every image painted should be of same meanings in it from the point of the painter. The painter should express his intention or meaning behind his intention for painting this mural.

[@tonykwok9763]

BLACK POLITE CAR🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@jimw8615]

Didn’t know our government is into anti smoking. Some people smoke in my lift for years. Complain to town council, Nea,… still second hand smoke in my lift. Haha

[@RealRick0408]

Bro.. u know how much tax revenue from tobacco? Anti-smoking is to promote “country image” & being politically savvy for being socially acceptable

[@Redmi-xu1yo]

Sia sui😂

[@quekchunpei9095]

Let history speak the truth,the painting never lies.No need to white wash history 👍

[@demingz4100]

samsui women did not smoke marlboro cigarette.

[@quekchunpei9095]

@@demingz4100 Not sure which cigarette brand they smoke at that time.

[@lilychua7866]

Just fine? You are encouraging people to do unauthorised work before seeking approval and then just pay later. Stupid decision!

[@tonykwok9763]

URA🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣ALSO GOV???????

[@noorainee5224]

Till now some women if not many still smorking so.......

[@thinkpadx60]

For god sakes singapore grow up

[@martinarchie2902]

Seetoh then went on to share the story from the 1980s of having taken pictures of the Samsui women for the then Straits Times Press.

[@utubehja]

It is a wrong decision to retain the mural as it is. 1. The depiction of the Samsui woman is most inappropriate. True, most of them smoke but that’s not what they are most known for. They are most known for their hard work in construction. This was shown in a TV serial which ended just weeks ago. Samsui women left behind their loved ones in China to earn a hard living in Singapore doing laborious construction work. This is what they should be remembered for. It is most insensitive to depict them as a smoker, health risk message aside. Why not show them as hardworking construction workers? For example, one balancing two baskets full of building material on a pole over her shoulder? This would have paid homage to their contributions to the building up of Singapore and their place in Singapore’s history. 2. Why use an American artist? How much does an American know about Samsui women? A local Chinese artist would be better suited for the work. 3. Now we know that the mural was done without approval from the relevant authority, URA. This should not be passed just because it has been done. It would set a wrong precedent. In future, people will draw public murals or complete a construction without public authority approval in the belief that once it’s done, it will not be taken down. 4. Indian males have also contributed to construction work in Singapore. They have a notorious drinking habit. Would it be appropriate to paint a mural of them consuming alcohol? The right thing to do now is to white wash over the mural, allow the building owner to apply for permit for another one, this time with a copy of the mural on paper. This one should pay proper tribute to the hard work of the Samsui women in building up Singapore.

[@JojoJoget]

Most workers here are from Bangladesh and don’t drink, you just looking it from your narrow cheena eyes. Samsui women smoked, artist wanna paint one smoking because its his art, you don’t want you draw yourself la.

[@xueling02able]

Totally agree. Excellent comment!

[@lenett9541]

My sentiment exactly! The samsui women were most known for their labouring in the construction worksite and their contribution to the building of Singapore. Not of their smoking. If the smoking image is really needed to show another facet, it can be a smaller size figure .

[@user-ri9kt7fz1l]

@@JojoJoget Hey, stop being a stinking Indian racist. Most of them are from India. You can tell them from their stink, OK.

[@tonykwok9763]

HOW ABOUT......BLACK🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@jer2911.L]

Yahweh will decide.

[@tonykwok9763]

​@@jer2911.Lamen

[@ceciliangwhng1915]

😵‍💫😵‍💫😵‍💫

[@ceciliangwhng1915]

“Art” ?????!!!! can distort the originality of heritage???? What an ANG-MO knows about Samsui women

[@hexroadammo9608]

Geez...What's the big deal?

[@ric6074]

Painting the samsui women in bad light.

[@devildevil2271]

All because he is Caucasian artist that loves Chinese spring chicken

[@anziar3038]

Building owner fined only $2000 because he's a s'porean. S'poreans are very fortunate to be living in a safe and secure environment because PAP is the only responsible and reliable party in s'pore.❤❤

[@nwyk153]

your comment is cringy AF. PAP pay you to say is it?