Sarawakians
From SgWiki
Sarawakians are people who reside in Sarawak State of East Malaysia. Only those people who have the indigenous right can reside in that state, considered as rights of abode that Western Malaysian does not possess. I had the privilege of staying with friends at their beautiful home during my birthday trip to Sarawak on 7th July 2006 <60th birthday>. Here are the couple which graciously let me <and my family> stayed in their home and treated me as a honored guest.
[edit] My trip to Miri <city>
They < Mr. & Mrs. Joseph Voon> brought us<my family> around to see the new University <Curtin University of Technology> situated in a 1000<State granted> acres of campus land with its lecture halls, auditorium. and student hostels and planned college services complex with shops and canteen to cater for many hundreds of local and foreign students. We also went to see the new marina Bay waterfront and the special treat of climbing up the Canada Hill to visit the Grand old Lady of Miri. and along with a widescopic view of the waterfront new city of Miri just as a bird's eye's view of the new mega hotels, tall office skyscrapers and many tall buildings of the new city which had humbly grown from a small town with a small population of hardworking honest Chinese Hakkas, Fochows, Ibans and Malays to what is now a new world metropolis. Anyone who came here to visit would hardly miss the great changes all over the new bustling city. I talked with some of the old shopkeepers in the centre of old Miri <High Street area> and they spoke <in mandarin> that even the old shophouses will be pull down to make way for yet more new complexes and skyscrapers to be built by the town council and their planners.
Oil used to be the main revenue generated by the oil boom in the 50s, 60s and right up to the 20th Century where offshore oil rigs were used to locate and drill for more oil and gas found underneath the sea beds. The energetic people were involved in timber, stone quarrying, etc to help to generate more revenue to build the place. Tourism too, a new thing here is also bringing new revenues from many who flock to see the newly found Muru caves in the upland and upriver of Baram and Marudi areas. Even the weekenders from Brunei < Kuala Belait, Seria and B.S. Begawan> all flock down here to the bordertown of Miri for their great piss up and cheers and to watch the the soccer world cup series and enjoy the beer drinking parties. plus their great fun-filled shopping trips for their children and wives.
What is lacking is perhaps a way to help to connect with the international financial world just as the stock exchanges and financial wealth would have found have yet another site for its trading in shares, gold commodities and futures..but are the Miri people ready to take the world yet? It's also a give and take situation,< becoming more busier means less time for family life etc> and most people still prefer a quiet life instead of running after money and more money, but that's is what can really keep a city growing....
Perhaps as a visitor I would suggest that the transportation system can be improve with more cabs <taxis> and public buses such as to help to convey more people around! I found the taxis service too expensive and the drivers are not likely to stop <with me trying to flag them down> for me waiting along the sides of the roads <outside the city areas> outside the city of Miri. Buses are hard to come by..so I prefer to walk and that help me to do my exercise too..but their tranport system is in need of further upgrading just like we did in Singapore in the 70s and 80s hehehehehe! please don't take any offence, it 's a word of friendly advice to all Taxis drivers to treat all visitors and local well with politeness and curtesy so that it would help to promote the image of the great Tourism city of Miri! I would suggest to travellers to book city cab for a needed period of time or call for them <on the mobiles i.e. handphones> before any travellers venture out-of-town and find nobody to help the strangled guest get back to the hotel!!! Buses <come on> are half or hourly basis and missing them means have to wait again!
I came here for my birthday celebrations too, and they even helped me to cut a cake, aand I really enjoy it! User:alien 04:54, 8 July 2006 (SGT)
