Mountbatten pavement art removed by SMRT raises larger questions on public spaces and expression: MP Gho Sze Kee

“And the work was not cleaned off by the town council but by SMRT staff. It is not widely known that many such jurisdictions actually intersect in our neighbourhoods,” she wrote. 

“I thought the right thing to do was to engage with LTA/SMRT and the police first to get the facts of the engagement before I talk about this,” she said, adding that “it is their prerogative to clarify to the public, and I will leave it to SMRT and the police to respond”.

CNA has contacted the Land Transport Authority and the police for comment.

Power-washing artist Marcus Pang said in an Instagram post on Friday that he was jetting his artwork, dubbed the Heart of Mountbatten, onto a pavement outside the MRT station when he was approached by SMRT staff.

“Five hours in, I was stopped by the train station staff as someone had complained about me spraying chemicals onto the grass,” he said, adding that he responded by explaining he was using rainwater to power wash the dirty concrete and that the “chemical” in question was likely the gasoline from his machine. 

“Unfortunately, the staff detained me as I had no permit to do such artwork, which I replied I did not require one.”

Mr Pang said the police were called and took his statement, adding that officers told him “no wrong was done” and that he could continue his artwork, though they encouraged him to get a letter of endorsement from the area’s MP.

When he returned the next day, Mr Pang said he found that the section of pavement had been “whitewashed”. Footage of the area showed a section that had been completely cleaned, effectively erasing his artwork.