Miri

From SgWiki

Miri City used to be known as a small "town". It is the old border town between Brunei and Sarawak : - just like Singapore and Johor Baru Bandaraya . It is well know for producing oil and gas. In fact there is an old oil rig which used to be a land mark and stand on top of a hill which is decorated and conserved for posterity known as the "The Grand Lady of Miri". it is a growing city with many Sarawakians flocking in from all over other smaller towns and villages. On top of "Canada Hill" is the land where a large church building is visibly seen all over the old town.

The countdown to "20.05.2005" was a joyous moment for thousands of Miri residents and the rest of Sarawak tonight when this oil town was officially proclaimed as the state’s second city.

On a hill far away

....view of the the city from Canada Hill

It has a population of 239,600 people (year 2000 census) and is thus the second largest city in Sarawak. It serves as the capital of Miri District (4,707.1 square kilometers) in Miri Division of Sarawak. Miri was controversially elevated to city status on May 20 2005 and it is the 10th municipality to receive city designation in Malaysia.

Miri is the birthplace of Sarawak's petroleum industry, which remains the major industry of the city. The first oil well was drilled by Shell in 1910, and is now a state monument and one of Miri's tourist attractions. Shell also built Malaysia's first oil refinery in Lutong, a suburb of Miri in 1914. Recently, vast oil reserves was discovered just offshore northeast of the city. The city has grown phenomenally since oil was first discovered in the early 1900s, burgeoning into the modern and dynamic business, commercial and educational centre it is today.

The city's other major industries include processed timber, oil palm production, and tourism. Gunung Mulu National Park, a half an hour flight from the city, is one of the favourite ecotourism destination. Miri is also the main tourist gateway for the Loagan Bunut National Park, Lambir National Park and the Niah Caves National Park.

The city has created artificial lake gardens, theme parks and the largest open-air stadium in Malaysia as part of its efforts to make a more attractive environment for residents and tourists.