(Standing from left) – Lai, Lee and other members of the Chamber with well wishers enjoying a Lion Dance performance.
MIRI: Northern Sarawak particularly Miri city is in dire need of more direct flights to boost its development especially in the business and tourism sectors.
Miri Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industries (MCCI) chairman Lee Khoi Yun said although on the whole, Miri would still be a flourishing city in the years ahead, greater air connectivity would be a catalyst in enhancing its development.
“The government should seriously get more international direct flights to Miri. Perhaps making Miri the connecting hub for the scheduled twice weekly direct flight from Kuching to Hong Kong which starts on April 26,” said Lee when met by the Borneo Post during the Chamber’s Chinese New Year open house on Monday.
Lee pointed out that Miri being in the northern gateway to Sarawak could be given the connecting flight of at least once a week, adding it would open up markets for tourists and investors from Taiwan, Japan and China into Sarawak and Miri in particular.
“Currently we only have one international direct flight – Miri/Singapore while among the domestic flights are to Johor, Penang, Kuala Lumpur, Kuching and Kota Kinabalu.
“If we want to promote our Miri Resort City, we have to promote it outside, as currently not many tourists are coming except Bruneians,” he stressed.
At the local level, Lee said the chamber would continue to work closely with other authorities including the Miri City Council (MCC), the relevant government departments and agencies and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in promoting and developing Miri.
He said some of the efforts were holding the annual Chinese New Year Bazaar and Chinese New Year open house, not only to enable the public to join in the festival but also provide business opportunities and entertainment to showcase the Chinese cultures and consequently help make Miri a vibrant resort city.
The Mayor of Miri City, Lawrence Lai was among over 1,000 people who came for the open house where there was a Lion Dance performance.