MIRI: Miri could be another international gateway in the northern region of the state.
In saying this, Assistant Minister of Communication Datuk Lee Kim Shin added with the expansion of the oil and gas industry and more international events being organised in this region, the need is there for a direct international flight service here.
“This would not only provide convenience to the people but could also tap the market around the region, including neighbouring Brunei,” Lee told a press conference at his office in Senadin yesterday. He said as Miri hosted many international events, such as the Borneo International Yachting Challenge, Borneo Jazz Festival and the Sarawak International Triathlon, there is a good reason for direct international flights to the city.
In addition, Curtin University of Sarawak Campus is also based here, he noted.
Moreover, expatriate workers in the oil and gas industry had to travel to and from Miri often, he elaborated.
Currently, to get to Miri, people have to fly in from Kota Kinabalu, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore or Brunei.
In this context, Lee appealed to airline companies, the Ministry of Tourism and the federal government to consider looking into the matter.
Earlier on, Lee who is also Senadin assemblyman, endorsed the welfare assistance applications for a few of his constituents at his office.