Miri

For other uses, see Miri (disambiguation).

Miri
—  City  —
Chinese transcription(s)
• Simplified	美里
Miri city centre
Seal
Nickname(s): "Resort City"
Motto: Progress with the society (Malay: Maju bersama masyarakat)
Miri Location in Borneo
Miri Location in Malaysia
Coordinates: 4°24′10″N 113°59′36″E
Country	Malaysia
State	Sarawak
Division	Miri Division
District	Miri District
Incorporation (Municipality)	1933
Incorporation (City)	20 May 2005
Government
• Type	Mayor–council government
• Mayor	Lawrence Lai Yew Son
Area
• City of Miri	4,707.1 km2 (1,817.4 sq mi)
Elevation	21.95 m (72.01 ft)
Population
• Estimate (2010)	358,020
Demonym	Mirian, Mirish
Time zone	MST (UTC+8)
• Summer (DST)	Not observed (UTC+8)
Postal code	98xxx
International dialling code prefix	+6085 (landline only)
Vehicle registration plate prefix	QM (for all vehicles except taxis) HQ (for taxis only)
Website	www.miricouncil.gov.my

Miri (pron.: /ˈmɪəriː/) is a city in northern Sarawak, Malaysia, on the island of Borneo. It is the second largest city in Sarawak, with a population of about 350,000, and located close proximity to Brunei. It is the government administrative centre of Miri District in Miri Division. Miri is the birthplace of Sarawak's and Malaysia's petroleum industry, which remains the major industry of the city.

The city's other major industries include processed timber, oil palm production, and tourism. Miri is the main tourist gateway for Gunung Mulu National Park, Loagan Bunut National Park, Lambir National Park, and Niah National Park. The world famous Gunung Mulu National Park with its Sarawak Chamber, a half an hour flight from the city, is one of the favourite eco-tourism destinations. Miri has lately become known for its exotic coral reefs.

History

The earliest evidence of human population in the area dates back to 35,000 BC from the nearby Niah Caves.

Oil discovery

The first oil well (the Grand Old Lady) was drilled by Shell in 1910, and is now a state monument and one of Miri's tourist attractions. Shell also built Malaysia's first oil refinery in Lutong, a suburb of Miri, in 1914.

World War II

Realizing that war was imminent, the Brooke government, under Sir Charles Vyner Brooke, conducted preliminary work to establish airstrips at selected locations throughout the country. These airstrips would be located at Kuching, Oya, Mukah, Bintulu, and Miri.

With no air or sea forces stationed in or around Sarawak, the British government encouraged the Brooke regime to adopt a "scorched earth policy" in the event of a Japanese attack. Later, schemes were developed to destroy the oil installations at Miri and Lutong. The Brooke government learned of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor (on 7 December 1941) and quickly ordered the total destruction of the oil fields and airfields at Miri and Seria. Orders for the demolition of the refinery at Lutong and the oil wells reached the officer commanding at Miri on the morning of 8 December, and by that evening, the task was completed. The garrison, a company of the 2/15 Punjab Regiment, then left for Kuching by sea on 14 December. The Japanese captured the city on 17 December.

On 19 December 1941, a Dutch flying boat from Tarakan Island attacked the Japanese destroyer Shinonome, (Cdr. Hiroshi Sasagawa) of 1,950 tons off Miri; the ship was sunk along with her entire crew of 228. Another flying boat damaged a transport ship.

Recent history

Miri City seen from satellite

During the 1960s, vast oil reserves were discovered just offshore northeast of the city^{[citation needed]}. Miri has grown phenomenally since oil was first discovered in the early 1900s, burgeoning into the business, commercial and educational centre it is today.

The Sarawak state government approved the then Miri Municipal Council's application for Miri to be elevated to a city and concurrently the Council to be upgraded as the Miri City Council on 20 May 2004. The federal government approved its application on 16 March 2005. The Yang di-Pertua Negeri (ceremonial head of state) of Sarawak issued an order on 12 May 2005 for the establishment of the Miri City Council.^{[citation needed]} The King of Malaysia, Seri Paduka Baginda Yang Di-Pertuan Agong XII issued the instrument for conferment of city status of name Miri City Council on Miri Municipal Council, with full jurisdiction on Miri City on 13 May 2005. The appointments of the mayor, deputy mayor and city councillors of the Miri City Council was published in the Sarawak Government Gazette on 19 May 2005.

On 20 May 2005, the official proclamation of Miri as a City and appointment of Cr. Dato Wee Han Wen as first Mayor of Miri City Council were made at Miri. This was then followed by a celebration and 20 May is now celebrated each year as Miri City Day. Miri is the ninth city, and its local authority the tenth city council in Malaysia.

Demographics

Miri's population consists of Iban, Chinese, Malay (consists of original Malay, adopted of Jati Miriek, Daleik and Bakong people), Kedayan, Berawan, Lun Bawang/Lun Dayeh, Melanau, Kayan, Kenyah, Kelabit, Bidayuh, Penan, Indian, a handful of Eurasians and other indigenous groups .

Many religions are also represented in Miri, including tribal religions, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism and Bahá'í Faith.

Climate

Weather radar station on Canada Hill in Miri

Miri has a tropical rainforest climate. There are two monsoon seasons: the southwest monsoon, which is the dry season from April to September and the northeast monsoon, which is the wet season from October to March. The annual rainfall is around 250 to 380 cm (100 to 150 inches). The air temperature is between 23 to 32 °C (74 to 90 °F) the whole year round. But in rare occasions, temperature can reach down to 18 °C to 16 °C especially in the month of November, December and January. Lowest ever recorded is in December 2010 where temperature dropped down to 11 °C. On 2012, February 2, a foggy weather cover up the whole town reduced visibility to 40 percent and lowest temperature recorded at that month is 16 °C in the early morning until 10am .

Climate data for Miri
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Record high °C (°F)	33 (91)	34 (93)	33 (91)	33 (91)	34 (93)	34 (93)	35 (95)	34 (93)	33 (91)	33 (91)	33 (91)	33 (91)	34 (93)
Average high °C (°F)	30 (86)	30 (86)	31 (88)	31 (88)	31 (88)	31 (88)	31 (88)	31 (88)	31 (88)	30 (86)	30 (86)	30 (86)	30.6 (87.2)
Average low °C (°F)	22 (72)	22 (72)	23 (73)	23 (73)	23 (73)	24 (75)	24 (75)	24 (75)	23 (73)	23 (73)	22 (72)	22 (72)	22.9 (73.2)
Record low °C (°F)	16 (61)	18 (64)	20 (68)	21 (70)	22 (72)	22 (72)	22 (72)	22 (72)	21 (70)	20 (68)	18 (64)	11 (52)	11 (52)
Precipitation cm (inches)	15.3 (6.02)	10.25 (4.035)	11.66 (4.591)	12.34 (4.858)	15.22 (5.992)	14.66 (5.772)	12.72 (5.008)	15.72 (6.189)	19.45 (7.657)	24.18 (9.52)	20.54 (8.087)	24.74 (9.74)	196.78 (77.469)
Source: MSN Weather

Economy

Description of the Grand Old Lady

Miri mainly relies on its oil and gas industry, which contributes significantly to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of Sarawak.^{[citation needed]} Sarawak Shell Berhad and Petronas Carigali have their headquarters based in Miri. The city is also home to numerous local and multinational oil and gas companies, including Nippon Oil, Schlumberger, Baker Hughes, Halliburton and Petra Resources and many others. The oil and gas industry not only infuses money into the economy, but also brings in expatriates from various countries.

Tourism is another important focus of the economy. Miri has a diverse ecology and a myriad of flora and fauna species. Four national parks and a marine national park are all located near Miri. Thus, it is often seen as a hub for ecotourism and a draw for nature enthusiasts.

Miri is also a shopping destination for the neighbouring country of Brunei Darussalam, as well as nearby smaller towns like Bintulu and Limbang.

The regional airline, MASwings, has its head office at Jalan Airport in Miri.

Transportation

Miri Airport receives flights from Kuala Lumpur, Johor Bahru, Kuching, Singapore, Kota Kinabalu, Labuan, Sibu, Bintulu and many other smaller towns throughout Sarawak. The airport is also an important hub for MASwings's fleets to provide connecting flights to isolated communities in the interior. It serves as the essential airway to national parks such as Mulu Caves, Niah Caves, and Lambir Hills. Malaysia Airlines and AirAsia operate flights to Miri.

Miri is accessible by road from Bandar Seri Begawan (Brunei) and all major city and towns in Sarawak, and is connected to major towns in Sarawak and to Brunei and Sabah by the Pan Borneo Highway.

Tourism

Miri is often called the northern gateway to Sarawak and is one of the state's most important tourist attractions. It is surrounded by four world-class national parks: Mount Mulu, Niah, Lambir Hills, and Loagan Bunut.

National Parks

• Gunung Mulu National Park

The Gunung Mulu National Park is a certified UNESCO World Heritage Site and boasts the world's largest natural cave chamber, the Sarawak Chamber. The National Park encompasses caves and karst formations in a mountainous equatorial rainforest setting. The park is famous for its caves and the expeditions that have been mounted to explore them and their surrounding rainforest, most notably the Royal Geographical Society Expedition of 1977–1978, which saw over 100 scientists in the field for 15 months. This initiated a series of over 20 expeditions now drawn together as the Mulu Caves Project. The national park is named after Mount Mulu, the second highest mountain in Sarawak.

• Niah National Park

Niah Caves in Niah National Park is an important archaeological and historical site, as one of the oldest human remains in Southeast Asia was found here. The cave is an important prehistorical site where human remains dating to 40,000 years have been found.[3] This is the oldest recorded human settlement in east Malaysia. The caves are also well known for the birds' nest (Swiftlet) industry. It is a popular tourist destination in Sarawak.

• Lambir Hills National Park

Lambir Hills National Park is located 30 kilometres (19 mi) south of Miri It contains very diverse species of flora and fauna and is ranked as the 12th mega-biodiverse site in the world. The park has Sarawak's largest natural lake. There is also the recently gazetted Miri-Sibuti Marine National Park, which has coral reefs and diverse marine life.

• Loagan Bunut National Park

Loagan Bunut National Park is a national park located 130 km from Miri, Sarawak, Malaysia, on the Borneo island. The park was named after the Loagan Bunut lake nearby, which is connected to Sungai Bunut (sungai is Malay for river), Sungai Baram and Sungai Tinjar. This park occupies a space of 100 km2 (39 sq mi) and is well known for its rich biodiversity and unique aquatic ecosystem. The national park was gazetted on January 1, 1990 and it was opened to public on August 29, 1991.

Beaches & Public Parks

Miri, being close to the sea, boasts some spectacular beaches.

• Tanjong Lobang Beach (Taman Selera) - Miri City's first recreational park and it is very popular with the locals. About 10 minutes drive from the City centre. The open-air seafood centre allows you to enjoy excellent seafood cooked the way you like.
• Luak Esplanade Beach
• Hawaii Beach
• Bungai Beach - Situated near Kampung Bungai in Bekenu, the beach is about 1 hour drive from Miri.
• Marina Bay
• Lutong Beach
• Miri Bulatan Park
• Taman Awam Miri
• Miri City Fan - a 10.4-hectare (26-acre) park in the heart of the city.
• Taman Bunga

Coral Reefs

The Miri Reef in the clear waters off Miri's coast are an exciting and accessible diving destination. It is one of Malaysia’s most recently discovered diving locations. Popular diving sites include Luconia Area, Anemone Garden, Grouper Patch Reef, Atago Maru Wreck, and Seafan Garden.

Golf

Miri boasts two golf courses of international standing (each about 20 minutes drive from the City centre).

• The Miri Golf Club

The very idyllic Miri Golf Club is set among the rustic surroundings of a Malay Kampung (Village) on top of a picturesque sand bar between the Miri River and the South China Sea, separation by the Miri River offers a worry free hideaway and the hustle and bustle of the city is hardly noticed.

• Eastwood Valley Golf And Country Club

The international standard golf facility was newly opened for play in 2005, comprises an 18-hole-course designed by the USA-based Nickels Golf Group Ltd of San Francisco, California.

Museums

Miri opened a petroleum museum to preserve the city's roots as an oil and gas city. The museum is situated on a hill with a view of Miri and the coast. The museum has been criticised as being poorly maintained and underpatronised. In 2010, Tourism and Heritage Minister Tan Sri Dr George Chan said he was trying to get help from Shell and Petronas to provide funds for the management of the museum. The museum was built at the site of "The Grand Old Lady", Miri's first producing rig.

Religious Places

• Temples
  • Tua Pek Kong Chinese Temple - Built in 1913, an important icon of Miri's early history, this is the oldest Chinese temple in Miri City.
  • Lian Hua San Ching Tien Taoist Temple - Located in the Krokop suburbs of Miri is South East Asia's largest Taoist temple was opened in 2000 and is cared for by Taoist priests.

• Churches
  • St Columba's Church
  • Miri Evangelical Church(Sib English)
  • Methodist Church Miri
  • Sidang Injil Borneo Sarawak
  • The Church Of God Miri
  • Hwai En Methodist Church
  • St Josephs Church Miri
  • Tukau Methodist Church Miri
  • SIB Literature Board
  • Miri Gospel Chapel

• Mosques
  • Masjid Al Jamek
  • Sinaran Mosque
  • At-Taqwa Mosque

Education

Primary School

• The Chinese primary schools in Miri:
  • Sekolah Jenis Kebangsaan (C) Chung Hua Bakam
  • Sekolah Jenis Kebangsaan (C) Chung Hua Krokop
  • Sekolah Jenis Kebangsaan (C) Chung Hua Lutong
  • Sekolah Jenis Kebangsaan (C) Chung Hua Miri
  • Sekolah Jenis Kebangsaan (C) Chung Hua Pujut
  • Sekolah Jenis Kebangsaan (C) Chung Hua Sibuti
  • Sekolah Jenis Kebangsaan (C) North
  • Sekolah Jenis Kebangsaan (C) Tukau

• Islamic Primary School in Miri:
  • Sekolah Kebangsaan Agama

• National primary schools in Miri:
  • Sekolah Kebangsaan Anchi
  • Sekolah Kebangsaan Bekenu
  • Sekolah Kebangsaan Jalan Bintang
  • Sekolah Kebangsaan Kampung Bakam
  • Sekolah Kebangsaan Kampung Luak
  • Sekolah Kebangsaan Lutong
  • Sekolah Kebangsaan Merbau
  • Sekolah Kebangsaan Pujut Corner
  • Sekolah Kebangsaan Pulau Melayu
  • Sekolah Kebangsaan Riam Batu Dua
  • Sekolah Kebangsaan Senadin
  • Sekolah Kebangsaan South
  • Sekolah Kebangsaan St. Columba
  • Sekolah Kebangsaan St. Joseph
  • Sekolah Kebangsaan Temala Kem Plywood
  • Sekolah Kebangsaan Temenggong Datuk Muip
  • Sekolah Kebangsaan Tudan

Secondary School

• Chinese Secondary School:
  • Sekolah Menengah Chung Hua Miri 美里中华中学

• Islamic Secondary School:
  • Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Agama Miri

• National Secondary Schools:
  • Sekolah Menengah Sains Miri
  • Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Lopeng Tengah
  • Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Dato' Permaisuri
  • Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Lutong
  • Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Merbau
  • Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Pujut
  • Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Riam
  • Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan St. Columba
  • Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan St. Joseph
  • Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Taman Tunku
  • Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Luak
  • Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Bekenu
• College:
  • Kolej Tun Datu Tuanku Haji Bujang

Private & International School

• Primary:
  • Sekolah Rendah Sri Mawar
  • Sekolah Rendah Sri Mulia

• Secondary:
  • Riam Road Secondary School 美里廉律中学
  • Pei Min Middle School 美里培民中学

• International School:
  • Tendby International School

Tertiary Education

• Curtin University Sarawak - The first offshore campus of Curtin University, Western Australia, and the first foreign university campus in East Malaysia. Opened in 1999 in partnership with the Sarawak government, it serves the educational needs of local and foreign students.

• University of Chester - Works to commence soon for development of the university facilities. Will be Chester University first offshore campus outside UK.

• Cahaya Educational & Training Academy Sdn Bhd

• Community College Miri

• Fajar International College - Provide education in Occupational Safety and Health, Business Management and Accounting Courses.

• IBS College Miri - Has been developed as the key provider of business and management training and education program in Miri, Sarawak. The College was established in 1992, originally as a professional training and development center and received the approval from the MOHE in 1998.

• Open University Malaysia

• Institut Kemahiran Belia Negara

• Institut Latihan Perindustrian Miri

• Institut Pendidikan Guru Malaysia Kampus Miri Sarawak

• Institut Pengurusan Maxcel

• Institut Teknologi Riam

• Pusat Pembangunan Kemahiran Sarawak (Lutong)

• I-Systems College Miri

Shopping

• Bintang Megamall [2]
• Boulevard Shopping Complex
• Imperial Mall
• Merdeka Mall
• Miri Plaza
• E-Mart
• Permy Mall [3]
• Wisma Pelita Tunku
• MYY Mall ( Under construction )
• Permaisuri Imperial City Mall (Under construction )
• Senadin Hypermall & Water Theme Park ( The construction will begin in this July )
• Marina Shopping Complex (Plan/Project)

Accommodation

Hotels

Below are the star-rated hotels in Miri:

• Miri Marriott Resort & Spa (5 Star)
• ParkCity Everly Hotel (4 Star)
• Mega Hotel Miri(4 Star)
• Grand Palace Hotel (4 star)
• Meritz Hotel (4 Star)
• Imperial Hotel (4 Star)
• Imperial Palace Hotel (4 Star)
• Royal Mulu Resort (4 Star)
• Borneo Tropical Rainforest Resort (3 Star)
• Dynasty Hotel (3 Star)
• Eastwood Valley Golf & Country Club (3 Star)

Health Care

Hospitals in Miri city are listed below:

• Government Hospital
  • Miri General Hospital
  • Miri Polyclinic
  • Tudan Polylinic

• Private Hospital
  • Columbia Asia Medical Centre
  • Miri City Medical Centre
  • KPJ Hospital