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By Mihar Dias March 2025
Kuala Lumpur—the city where the weather is hot, the traffic is hotter, and the tempers of artists whose work gets erased by DBKL are absolutely on fire.
Our latest tragedy in the war between creativity and municipal overreach?
Local graffiti artist Cloakwork, who took it upon himself to beautify two neglected bus stops, only for his work to be unceremoniously wiped out by the Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL). https://newswav.com/A2503_ksaBil?s=A_UerffhL&language=en
Instead of celebrating a little colour in the concrete jungle, our beloved city guardians decided that a return to dilapidation chic was the better aesthetic choice.
Cloakwork had the audacity to think that perhaps, just perhaps, a little paint could transform these forgotten spaces.
You see, these weren’t just bus stops—they were once mini-shops built to support underprivileged vendors. https://newswav.com/A2503_ksaBil?s=A_UerffhL&language=en
A noble concept, long since abandoned, much like the stops themselves.
But rather than letting them sit as rusting relics, he added splashes of colour, a fresh lease on life, and maybe even a reason for passersby to stop and appreciate their surroundings. https://newswav.com/A2503_ksaBil?s=A_UerffhL&language=en
But alas! The guardians of good taste at DBKL, who apparently prefer dull grey over vibrant street art, swooped in with all the efficiency of a parking summons officer. The artwork was erased. Order was restored. Blandness prevailed. Boring!
Kuala Lumpur: The City That Could Have Been Cool
It’s hard not to wonder: What if DBKL had embraced Cloakwork’s vision instead of destroying it?
What if, instead of painting over street art, they commissioned more? Who knows—maybe we’d have the next Banksy lurking in our back alleys, waiting to make us think, laugh, and question authority.
Instead, we get... well, potholes.
Potholes that remain unfixed while DBKL prioritises scrubbing away harmless art. To quote Cloakwork himself:
"Instead of spending taxpayers' money to cover my harmless art, why not try to fix the potholes on the road?" https://newswav.com/A2503_ksaBil?s=A_UerffhL&language=en
A fair point. Because while we can certainly survive as a city without a thriving graffiti scene, it would be nice to survive without having our car tires swallowed whole by craters that belong in a National Geographic documentary.
A Call to Arms (Or Spray Cans?)
So, here’s a radical idea: Instead of suppressing street artists, why not support them? Singapore has its pristine efficiency, Tokyo has its neon-lit quirkiness, and Kuala Lumpur?
Well, we could have a reputation as Southeast Asia’s street art capital—if only we stopped treating our local artists like criminals.
Let’s turn bus stops, underpasses, and abandoned buildings into canvases for creativity.
Let’s encourage the next generation of artists to make KL a little more fun, a little more colourful, and a whole lot more inspiring.
Who knows? Maybe one day, when the world’s next great street artist emerges from our city, DBKL will look back and think, “Ah yes, we always supported them.” And the rest of us? We’ll be here, rolling our eyes and dodging potholes.
Mihar Dias is a content creator under the Newswav Creator programme, where you get to express yourself, be a citizen journalist, and at the same time monetize your content & reach millions of users on Newswav. Log in to creator.newswav.com and become a Newswav Creator now!
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