17-Year-Old Autistic Teen's Artwork Gets Picked By Prime Minister For Merdeka Day Signage
It took Wan Jamila Wan Shaiful Bahri a month and a half to complete the artwork.
By Alyssa J. Oon — 28 Aug 2019, 12:50 PM
When Malaysians descend on Dataran Putra for National Day celebrations this weekend, they will be greeted with a large, colourful 'Putrajaya' signage
This festive steel signage was designed by a 17-year-old artist with autism, Wan Jamila Wan Shaiful Bahri.
Launched in December, it will bear the new design to mark National Day 2019 festivities. It will stay up for six months.
It sits right in front of Perdana Putra, which is the Prime Minister's office.
Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad had personally picked Wan Jamila's design
Putrajaya Corporation (PPj) president Datuk Dr Aminuddin Hassim told Bernama that the Prime Minister had selected the design on 27 July.
However, the art's original dark blue background was switched out with pastel colours as Tun Dr Mahathir's favourite colours.
According to New Straits Times, the 1.5m wide and 2.4m tall painting depicts the concept of Malaysia's famous buildings and bridges.
It also includes a doodle of women from various races, including Malay, Chinese, Indian, Kadazan, and Iban, along with the Jalur Gemilang.
Wan Jamila took about a month and a half to finish her artwork
"Every time August comes, I will ask her to draw anything along the Merdeka theme. She will choose everything herself, from the colours to the patterns, without anyone's help," shared Wan Jamila's mother, 58-year-old former architect Noorhashimah Mohamed Noordin, reported New Straits Times.
58-year-old Noorhashimah Mohamed Noordin and her daughter Wan Jamila in their home.
Image via Aziah Azmee/Harian Metro"She managed to complete the drawing on the signage in a month-and-a-half. She spent a lot of time in her gallery, from morning till night to paint this."
