Helping smokers quit the habit

In this piece, Chai divides the symbol of peace and hope, the pigeon, into two using cigarette butts against a red, detrimental background on one side while the other half is made up of leaves flying against a clear blue sky with the KL skyline.

SMOKERS will get an inspiring reminder to quit the habit in Sunway Pyramid Shopping Mall in Petaling Jaya, thanks to three uplifting artworks by local artists.

The works are part of Sunway REIT’s sustainability campaign, “Clean Air – A Smoke Free Environment Project” to help create a healthy environment for everyone.

All three artists Kenji Chai, Caryn Koh and Louise Low came up with their own inspirations for the art installations that are located at key spots where smokers usually congregate.

Chai whose painting, “Resurrection” displayed on the ground floor adjacent to the Sunway Pyramid West Link Bridge said he was inspired to show the difference between a smoke-ridden world and one that was clean.

He divided his pigeon, a symbol of peace and hope in two, using cigarette buds to draw one side on a red, detrimental background while the other was made up leaves on a clear blue sky with the city landscape.

Koh, who is known for her schoolgirlcentred works, with her mural featuring a sunflower.

Low, known for her bra art, created the “Rose Petals” located on Lower Ground 2, on an exterior wall behind the An Viet Restaurant.

The interactive piece, depicts the sweet smelling rose made from glossy paper from which ruby red petals flutter away in the wind.

Koh, who is known for her schoolgirl-centred works, included a childhood memory, the sunflower; a flower that is hard to grow and yet when in bloom stands out majestically.

“I wanted people to remember that the environment is just as hard to care for but we need to keep it clean and smoke-free,” she added.

Sunway Reit’s chief executive officer Datuk Jeffrey Ng Tiong Lip said the campaign was inspired by Sunway Group founder and chairman Tan Sri Jeffrey Cheah.

The project is part of the group’s five-year roadmap where the first and second phases involved partnerships with various government agencies and the World Health Organisation towards realising the vision of a smoke-free nation.

“We aim to become the Malaysia’s first sustainable and smoke-free city by 2018 where all Sunway-owned premises within the township will be declared smoke-free,” he said.

The artworks, he hoped, would inspire smokers to reduce their consumption or quit entirely while preventing potential smokers including students from starting the habit.

(From left) Sunway Malls chief operating officer Kevin Tan, Ng, Low and Sunway Malls chief executive office HC Chan in front of Low's work, 'Rose Petals' during the launch of Sunway REIT Clean Air - A Smoke-Free Environment Project at Orange Avenue Sunway Pyramid.

“We hope that the beauty of these masterpieces will discourage smoking in those areas to provide a better place that will benefit the 200,000 people in our Sun City community including students, office workers, hospital staff and patients,” he added.

Ng said they hoped to replicate this project at the other Sunway REIT properties including Sunway Putra Mall in Kuala Lumpur.

This corporate social responsibility project added Ng was no different than their other businesses that are results driven.

“We have set various Key Performance Index (KPI) including pledges that is measurable to determine the results of this campaign,” he added.

One of the KPI is to invite members of the public to actively participate by making pledges on www.sunwaycleanairproject.com. The first 400 pledgers will receive 500 Sunway Pal points.

During the campaign till June 30, members of the public can also sign up for the Sunway REIT Smoking Cessation Programme which is supported by Sunway Medical Centre and Johnson and Johnson.

“Participants will get free counselling by Sunway Medical Centre’s professionals. The pilot run is open to 250 participants,” he added.