20.10.2024, Singapore, Singapore, - Mural by Singapore-based American artist Sean Dunston on the outside of a traditional shophouse along South Bridge Road in Singapore's Chinatown district shows the portrait of a Samsui lady smoking a cigarette. The term Samsui women (Samsui ladies) generally refers to a group of Chinese immigrants who came to Malaya and Singapore between the 1920s and 1940s in search of work in construction and industry. These women came mainly from the Sanshui district in what is now Guangdong, a province in southern China. The Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA), the national authority that regulates the use of preserved shophouses, ordered the cigarette to be removed as it was ënot in line with Singapore's anti-smoking policyí. The URA stated that a renewal of the operating licence requested by the landlord could be refused if the application was not compiled. In addition, anonymous feedback had been received stating that the depiction was ëoffensiveí and gave the impression that the figure was ëmore like a prostituteí. Public reaction to the news was positive, with some saying the depiction was historically accurate. The URA deliberated further after the public outcry and ultimately allowed the mural to remain as it is, but imposed a fine on the landlord for not following the approval process before installing the mural. ++THIRD PARTY RIGHTS NOT WITH THE PHOTOGRAPHER, NO LIABILITY FOR CLAIMS BY PERSONS DEPICTED OR THEIR DEPICTED OBJECTS. MANDATORY CREDITING OF THE ARTIST UPON PUBLICATION++. 0SL241020D029CAROEX.JPG [MODEL RELEASE: NO, PROPERTY RELEASE: NO (c) caro images / Schuelke, http://www.caro-images.com, [email protected] - In case of using the picture for any purpose, please contact the agency - the picture is subject to royalty!]