MIRI: It would be a mistake to assume that Miri is just another oil and gas city. True, the city owes much of its historical and modern development to the discovery of oil in 1910 at Canada Hill, but life here doesn’t completely revolve around the oil and gas industry.
TRANQUILITY: Fishing boats berthed by the river bank of Kuala Baram River. Each boat, excluding equipment, cost about RM35,000. – Photos by Chimon Upon
The timber industry and the fishing industry are also two important sources of income for Miri district which has an estimated population of over 300,000.
The city itself is one of the major centres for commerce and trade in Sarawak. Over the years, residents here have made their livelihood and fortunes in the timber and oil and gas industry.
However, locals told the BAT team that the oil palm industry is poised for greater growth as logging becomes less commercially viable as available logging areas decrease. Once an area has been logged by timber companies, the plantations move in and convert the cleared land into oil palm plantations.
Because of greater competition, prices of goods have come down as the number of shopping and commercial areas increased, much to the relief of locals as well as to the delight of hundreds tourists from Brunei who cross the border to the city every weekend to take advantage of the favourable exchange rate.
Because of the oil and gas industry, Miri is also home to thousands of foreign workers and expatriates. Most of the locals we encountered were not originally from Miri but arrived from other places in Sarawak, drawn by the numerous job opportunities.
Prior to the discovery of oil, Miri was a fishing village. Today, fishing is still very much a way of life for villagers living in and around the city limits.
The BAT team had the opportunity to visit Kg. Kuala Bakam, a small fishing community about 20 minutes drive from the city centre. On weekends, this village draws in hundreds of people who come here to buy the fresh fish and prawns as well as derivative products like salted fish, ‘cencalok’ (preserved shrimp), dried shrimp and ‘belacan’ (fermented shrimp paste)
A number of villagers have also set up stalls selling homemade cakes, biscuits and tidbits. A stall owner told the BAT team that she can easily earn about RM200 from Friday to Sunday through sales of her homemade snacks to the public.
Our next stop was the wet market for Kuala Baram Batu 1, also about 20 minutes away from the city. The road leading to this local tamu was lined with stalls selling shrimp. As soon as the shrimp arrived fresh off fishing boats, eager buyers would quickly snap it up.
Mobilephone technology here can mean the difference between getting shrimps of a so-so quality or of a superb quality. During shrimp season, buyers will call their favourite shrimp suppliers every hour or so to find out when the next shipment of shrimps are coming in. In some cases, all the shrimp will already have been sold well before the fishing boat lands with its catch. Such is the demand for the freshly caught shrimp which fetches between RM8 to RM4 per kilo, depending on quality.
Then it was off to the Miri Crocodile Farm where visitors have the opportunity to see and hand-feed crocodiles. Although crocodiles are the main attraction, there is also a small zoo onsite and related attractions, such as horse rides and also taking photos next to certain animals like a monkey, a Sunbear cub and a Burmese python. It is a pleasant way for locals to spend a couple of hours enjoying the animal exhibits. Animals here appear to have little fear of humans, as visitors appeared to be allowed to feed the animals.
Our last stop for the day was Canada Hill to pay homage to the Grand Old Lady, the first oil well in Malaysia which struck oil on December 22, 1910. Next to it is the Petroleum Museum, dedicated to the petroleum history and heritage of the city.
Canada Hill is a popular spot with locals because of the fantastic panorama of the city which one can see from the top. Courting couples love to come here, as do joggers and walkers. We understand that some people have taken to making their own running trails up and down the hill away from the tar road leading up the hill. Unfortunately, this has also led to loss of life as the way down can be quite steep.
One day in Miri was more than enough proof for us to see that there are many sides to the city and its residents, beyond just the oil and gas industry. It would be nice if we could spend more time here, but we have a schedule to meet and other places to go. Stay tuned for more adventures as we venture further into the depths of this beloved state we call Sarawak.