Kuala Terengganu’s Latest Attraction: Mural Portraits of Malaysia’s Seven Prime Ministers

During my recent trip to Kuala Terengganu, I took the opportunity to visit one of the newest attractions in the city: Malaysia’s equivalent to America’s Mount Rushmore.

What am I referring to? It’s the mural portraits of Malaysia’s seven prime ministers on the side wall of Dewan Tunku Abdul Rahman in the heart of Kuala Terengganu city. Despite the strategic location of the building, one can easily miss this huge mural because it’s on the side wall, rather than facing the road.

This mural, measuring 250sq. ft., is a project of the Kuala Terengganu City Council (MBKT) in a bid to beautify the city’s oldest building with an objective to make it into a tourist attraction.

The Red Rebel Art Squad that comprises four local artists, was commissioned to finalise the mural. The artists, Raja Badruddin Hakim Shah Raja Kamarul Bahrin, Wan Ansri Nizam Wan Ismail, Zulkarnain Abd Latif and Mohd Fahmi Abdullah Sani took 27 days to complete the project, from 9th January until 4th February, 2020.

Believed to be the first such mural of Malaysia’s seven prime ministers, this is Red Rebel Art Squad’s third public project. In 2019, the artists had painted a large Jalur Gemilang and the Terengganu flag on the roof of the Sultan Ismail Nasiruddin Shah Stadium in conjunction with the National Day celebration.

Three years ago, they painted a mural on Terengganu’s colourful life on the wall of an old building located along Jalan Banggol, in conjunction with Visit Terengganu Year 2017.

If you wish to visit Dewan Tunku Abdul Rahman to pose for photos with this mural, do take note that you can easily park your vehicle here.

Parking fee is as follows:

Car / Van
RM1 first hour or part of it, RM0.50 next 30 minutes or part of it

Bus / Lorry
RM3 first hour or part of it, RM1.50 next 30 minutes or part of it

Fine RM50 for loss of parking ticket
Fine RM50 to release car clamp

Operational hours: 8am until 12 midnight daily.

Dewan Tunku Abdul Rahman
Add: Jalan Sultan Ismail, Kuala Terengganu, Terengganu.
GPS Coordinates: 5°19’43.5″N 103°08’18.2″E