At the site where artist Syed Ahmad Syed Jamal’s ‘Puncak Purnama’ sculpture once stood tall, something new has taken its place.

Replacing the sculpture which was demolished by Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) in July 2016 is a circular patch of flowers about one metre across.

This came as a huge disappointment to Syed Ahmad’s son, who saw this as an insult to his father's artwork.

“To me, what would they do with flowers?

“If they had replaced it with an art sculpture, that would have been (a bit) okay, but this is like a house plant. It is humiliating.

“This shows to me, the don't care attitude and the short-sightedness towards art.

“This is the work of an unthinking person,” Syed Nabil said to Malaysiakini.

DBKL should have discussed first before replacing the Puncak Purnama sculpture with flowers, he said.

“Next time, if you want to do anything, you should discuss with someone with more knowledge and responsibility towards art.

“This looks like a shoddy job.

“It is also not a decision becoming of an international city. Puncak Purnama should not have been demolished in the first place,” he said.

According to national laureate Baha Zain (photo), the fact that a flower garden was built in place of the expressive artwork did not justify the action of demolishing the sculpture which is against the moral and legal rights of the artist as a citizen.

“The implication is also no better than (US President) Donald Trump’s authoritarian acts which do not respect and are prejudiced against human rights,” he said to Malaysiakini.

The Puncak Purnama sculpture’s demolition on July 1, 2016 drew the anger of the art community and art activists.

Federal Territories Minister Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor had said the sculpture was demolished as it was an “eyesore” and DBKL had received complaints from the public about it.

“DBKL had to demolish it because it was too dilapidated and there is no way to restore the sculpture.

“This is the best choice because it is already an eyesore and we do not want it disturbing some people,” he said on July 2, 2016.

Syed Ahmad was a famed artist in Malaysia, who was recognised as a national artist in 1995.

He was also a lecturer and director of the Universiti Malaya Cultural Centre, before he was appointed National Art Gallery director between 1983 and 1991.

He passed away on July 30, 2011 at the age of 83.

As the country was in upheaval with the Reformasi movement after Anwar Ibrahim was fired as the deputy prime minister, Syed Ahmad had created a logo for the Social Justice Movement (Adil), which later became PKR.

‘National Visual Arts Gallery not informed’

Former Utusan Malaysia senior editor Ku Seman Ku Hussain said the demolition of Puncak Purnama was embarrassing and the most ridiculous thing to happen in Malaysia.

“Even worse was that the National Visual Arts Gallery (formerly known as the National Art Gallery) was not informed about this decision to destroy a work of art,” he wrote on Facebook.

National laureate Muhammad Salleh also considered DBKL’s decision as an embarrassing act from someone who is illiterate in art.

He said he has no words to properly describe how he felt when DBKL demolished Puncak Purnama.

Not only were artists and art lovers upset about the fate of Puncak Purnama, Tourism and Culture Minister Nazri Aziz also expressed his disappointment when it was demolished.

Freelance curator Nur Hanim Khairuddin also joined the chorus in saying it was embarrassing for DBKL to demolish the sculpture.

By replacing it with a flower patch, he added, DBKL made themselves look even more like fools.

“I cannot comment much, because it was insulting when they demolished it, but this act (of planting flowers) is making themselves out to be fools.

“This is a lesson to DBKL. In the future, DBKL should think about involving the art community when they want to do anything,” he said.

‘A question of dignity’

Art activist and writer Rahmat Haron (photo) said DBKL should apologise to Syed Ahmad’s family.

“The flower patch is secondary but the important thing is why was it demolished? This is a question of dignity.

“Syed Ahmad Jamal was not an ordinary person. He was the one who created the art curriculum in schools.

“He was a civil servant and the former director of the National Art Gallery,” he said.

Meanwhile, art curator Intan Rafiza said DBKL’s action only showed their inability to focus on art as a draw for tourists.

“Indirectly, this shows how art in Malaysia is not given the attention to educate the public on how to appreciate art,” she said.

Malaysiakini’s visit to the spot shows the area where the sculpture once stood to be empty, with a few types of plants and flowers planted in the soil patch.

There was also rubbish strewn around as well as homeless people sleeping in the area.

National Visual Arts Development Board director-general Mohamed Najib Ahmad Dawa declined to comment when contacted.

Malaysiakini has also contacted DBKL to get the reaction of the local authorities on this issue.