ANYONE wanting to paint murals in the heritage enclave of George Town must now obtain a permit from the Penang Island City Council, effective from Jan 1.

Councillor Nur Zarina Zakaria said this was necessary under the new council guidelines.

“Prior to this, mural artists required only approval from George Town World Heritage Incorporated (GTWHI).

“Now, we want to make sure that the designs have elements that reflect George Town’s Unesco heritage status.

“The designs must first be sent to GTWHI for approval from its review panel before coming to us.

“The permit requires no fee,” she told a press conference after the full council meeting at the City Hall yesterday.

Nur Zarina said the guidelines were to ensure that murals in the heritage enclave were not graffiti or had elements of vandalism.