Several artworks in the the heritage enclave of George Town in Penang were seen sprayed with yellow paint today.

According to hawkers around the heritage area, the yellow splashes made their appearance only today.

Komtar assemblyperson Teh Lai Heng of DAP said many places along Armenian Street, where the artworks are located, were drenched with the yellow paint.

According to CCTV footage recorded by a trader, Teh said, a man was seen spraying the yellow paint on several spots at the George Town Unesco Heritage site at 3.15am this morning.

“Other than the ‘Little Children on a Bicycle’ mural at Armenian Street, a wire sculpture, two shops and a car parked by the roadside was also vandalised with yellow paint,” Teh said.

He said the murals are administered by George Town World Heritage Incorporated and added that the Penang Island City Council would lodge a police report on the matter.

“We don't know what is the intention behind the act, but it is not right to vandalise public or even private property,” Teh said.

He urged those whose properties were damaged by the yellow paint to lodge police reports.

The World famous ‘Little Children on a Bicycle’ mural on Armenian Street was painted by Lithuanian artist Ernest Zacharevic in April 2012.

'A sabotage against Bersih rally'

Readers of British daily The Guardian had picked the mural as one of their 15 favourite ones, out of 378 submitted from around the world.

Bersih northern region coordinator Toh Kin Woon said he sees the desecration as "sabotage" against the organisation’s efforts to organise a mega rally in Kuala Lumpur on Aug 29 and 30.

“It is definitely not our work. We do not condone vandalism, for as ours are all very peaceful rallies,” Toh told Malaysiakini when contacted.

“Yes, our official colour is yellow but what we do is wear yellow T-shirts, and we will be going to Kuala Lumpur to join the rally,” he said.

“We have insisted, from the very beginning, that our activities are peaceful in nature, for example, we hold forums, carry out leafleting in public places, promote our programmes through the social media and sell our merchandise, all of which are very legal,” he added.

“We do not subscribe to any act of vandalism and violence,” Toh added.

The 34-hour mammoth rally slated for next weekend has been prompted by public uproar over allegations of a financial scandal involving 1Malaysia Development Bhd and the controversial RM2.6 billion political donation deposited in Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak’s personal bank accounts.

The electoral reform movement has urged Najib to go on leave pending investigations into the alleged ‘political funding’ he received.

Bersih also gave the prime minister one month to respond to its demands.

Bersih also claimed that Najib had no intention to allow an investigation to be carried out independently, and that he even obstructed the investigations.

While inspector-general of police Khalid Abu Bakar has warned Bersih , saying the rally was “to topple the government”, the electoral watchdog urged the police not to violate the Federal Constitution, which guarantees peaceful assembly as a right under Article 10(1)(b).