Lau (fourth right) briefs Taib on the mammoth project.
MIRI: The unselfishness and willingness of the private sector to share their wealth has benefited both the people and Miri as a whole.
Chief Minister Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud said such attitude and far-sightedness have transformed Miri from a small fishing village into what it is now — a resort city.
“They have complemented and contributed to government efforts to bring development and progress to the city. The development and progress of Miri create various job and business opportunities for the people,” said Taib at the earth-breaking ceremony for the Miri Water Theme Park in Senadin here yesterday.
Commending the effort made by Miri Housing Group particularly its executive chairman Datuk Lau Siu Wai in developing the water theme park and other development projects, he said development and progress not only benefit the locals but also attract people from outside.
“This is a sign that the private sector is always making continuous efforts to bring development and progress to Miri,” he added.
Taib said in the past the proposed project would have been considered unnecessary as it is entertainment oriented but it is now a need and demanded by the younger generation who are mostly confined to their rooms surfing the Internet and playing computer games.
“If no efforts are made to bring them out from their rooms it will affect their interaction with their family, relatives and friends and this is not healthy for them and society. This is now a major problem in Korea and we don’t want this to happen to us,” said Taib, adding that the theme park would provide them a venue to engage in healthy activities and exercise.
He also said the theme park would be another attraction for the city.
“The proposed mammoth project will help to transform Senadin in the northern part of Miri not only into a lively residential estate but also a business, recreational, leisure and educational centre,” he added.
To be the first of its kind and largest theme park in East Malaysia, it is the brainchild of prominent businessman Datuk Lau Siu Wai.
Sprawling over 500 acres in the proximity of Curtin University, it will exceed Sunway Lagoon in terms of size. On the drawing board are giant waterslides, water tubes, swimming and wading pools.
The proposed project would not just be a theme park but a new resort township of sorts because it would feature two hotels, six blocks of condominium towers, a commercial centre and a mega mall boasting two million square feet of retail space.
The mammoth project would cost about RM1 billion and would be developed in three phases. Phase I is slated to kick-off after the earth breaking ceremony, and the whole three phases are scheduled to be completed in five years time.
It would also have an old folk healthcare centre. Once completed, this project will transform Miri, particularly Senadin, into the ‘Venice of the East’, complete with lakes and water canals for canoes and small boats to ply all the way to the South China Sea.
Miri Housing Group envisions that this place will eventually become the hub for water sports, kayaking and canoeing activities.
Among those attending the ceremony were Puan Sri Ragad Kurdi Taib, Assistant Minister of Communication Datuk Lee Kim Shin, Sibuti MP Ahmad Lai Bujang and local dignitaries.