Some 200 protesters took to the streets today to oppose the Kuala Lumpur City Halls’s move to demolish the ‘Puncak Purnama’ sculpture.

They marched some 250 metres from the Sogo shopping complex to the Human Rights Commission (Suhakam) office to hand over a memorandum of protest.

The march started at 2.10pm as the activists played and sang the song Rasa Sayang, while carrying a long piece of batik cloth at the rally.

In addition, the group also held banners, which, among others, said, ‘Solidarity for Puncak Purnama’, ‘Save art for the future’, and ‘It’s okay to be art-blind, just don’t be an art destroyer’.

They arrived at the Suhakam building at about 2.30pm showcasing various symbolic performances and artwork as peaceful signs of protest.

They sang several songs, read poetry, performed and theatre pieces, while holding placards and waiting for representatives of the protest to deliver their memorandum to Suhakam commissioner Lok Yim Pheng.

Art collector Zain Azahari Zainal Abidin who took part in the dialogue with Lok, was rather emotional as he had a history with Puncak Purnama.

Zain was the UMBC Bank chairperson who handed the art installation to DBKL in 1986.

He said that he was taken aback when DBKL decided to do away with the installation, claiming that it can no longer be fixed.

"I felt slighted, it is supposed to be the responsibility of DBKL to take care of the monument. But they say it cannot be restored.

"I asked myself, if the Sphinx can be restored, a 36 year old monument can't?" he said.

Dark moment

For National Laureate Baharuddin Zainal, popular known as Baha Zain, the demolition of the monument is a dark moment in local arts history.

He said that all quarters, politicians and officials included, have to realise the importance of intellectual property.

Artists, he argued, are struggling with intellectual property rights regarding their artwork, but ignorance of the matter still thrives amongst politicians and public officials.

"I am not a painter, but I am a writer. In the bigger scheme of intellectual property rights and its importance to the nation, a country that aims to be world class and a high income nation in the next few years, cannot ignore intellectual property.

"Many are not aware about intellectual property except for lawyers. Artists struggle in their lives and activities, but ignorance persists amongst public an official and political leaders. This is astonishing," he said.

Meanwhile painter Saiful Azman said that he is working with academicians in public and private universities and the National Heritage Council to gazette monuments and artworks.

This is to be the last defence in preserving the nation's artistic works.

After an hour of hearing the complaints of the arts activists, Lok said that he and Suhakam will look into the matter.

Other then Baharuddin and Zain, the deputation also included film director U-Wei Saari, widow of painter Syed Ahmad Hamidah Mohd Noor, the artist's son Syed Nabil Syed Ahmad, as well as a representative from Suara Rakyat Malaysia.

The protest gathering dispersed peacefully at 5pm.