REMOVAL OF PILLARS OF SABAH ARTWORK SADDENING, SAYS WARISAN

19 April 2021

KOTA KINABALU: The sudden disappearance of artwork painted at the Pillars of Sabah is saddening, said Parti Warisan Sabah (Warisan).

In a statement released by its Kota Kinabalu Branch Chief, Samuel Wong lamented that the Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) state government should be more supportive of Sabah's local talents.

"Pillars of Sabah is a community project that makes use of colonial building ruins located in the heart of Kota Kinabalu, bringing local artists together to project their talents.

"So the Government should appreciate the contributions of these local talents. Not only Sabah's heritage can be projected to tourists, but we also get to nurture home-grown talents," he said.

Wong added it is a waste that after so many years, this initiative has come to an abrupt stop.

"In fact for so many years, this community initiative was supported by the State Government. Be it Barisan Nasional or Warisan. But why all of a sudden, GRS/PN (Perikatan Nasional) decided to erase all these artworks without informing the artists.

“If there is future planning for this site, the state government should have had the courtesy to inform the artists who have worked tirelessly on the paintings. Do not let their effort go in vain.”

Elaborating further, he pointed out that GRS seems to have a bad track record in terms of preserving and promoting art and culture.

"I remember not too long ago, the City Town Hall's announced its decision to demolish the old State Library."

"There were public suggestions to turn it into an art gallery promoting Sabah's heritage. But the suggestion was not entertained. The old State Library is now being demolished," he said, adding that it is time for the Sabah Government to look back into its directions and policies.

"Sabah relies a lot on tourism money. Although the pandemic is affecting the tourism sector, this does not mean we should dismantle our heritage."