The Ipoh City Council (MBI) will be repainting a mural depicting an old man sipping coffee at the centre of the town after the old man is accused of resembling the late communist leader Chin Peng.

MBI would “discuss” with the mural's artist, Lithuanian painter Ernest Zacherevic ( left ), to ask him to “change the picture”, Sinar Harian reported.

The report quoted an MBI source as saying so after several complaints were raised about the resemblance of the man painted to Chin Peng.

However, MBI in a statement today, clarified that the mural does not depict the deceased Communist Party of Malaya secretary-general.

“MBI wants to clarify that the mural image that was on the wall of a restaurant at Jalan Tun Sambanthan, Ipoh is not based on the image of Communist Party of Malaya leader Chin Peng as claimed by several individuals,” the MBI Public Relations Office said.

MBI added that the image of the old man in the mural was based on a local citizen.

Meanwhile, in the same news report, Perak NGO Front chairperson Mohd Salleh Mohd Khan urged an “investigation” to determine who is the man depicted in the mural painting.

“Even the building owner must be investigated so that everything is made clear,” he said.

State Islamic NGO Pertubuhan Ikram Malaysia (Ikram) chief Yahanis Yahya said that the local council must give an explanation about the mural, while urging that all sensitivities be preserved.

Chin Peng ( right ) died in exile in Thailand last year, but his ashes were not allowed to be brought back to Malaysia by the government.

He had been widely blamed for the spate of violence that took place during the communist insurgency in the country back in 1969.

Although the government signed a peace treaty with CPM in 1984, there still widespread suspicion and anger against the group.

Penang police earlier this month quizzed opposition leaders whose image was placed on a hoax banner promoting a dinner to commemorate the peace treaty.

This is also not the first time Zacharevic's artwork has courted controversy.

The Johor Baru City Council last year painted over his mural depicting a knife-wielding Lego figure about to pounce on a Lego woman after it was deemed to depict the city in bad light.