Miri Resort City.com - Blogosphere

Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri

Sun, 28 Sep 2008 10:54:48 +0800

MiriResortCity.com wishes a Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri & Selamat Berpuasa to everyone.

21st September 2008 - Welding possible cause of Miri blast

Sun, 21 Sep 2008 14:11:39 +0800

MIRI: The explosion that ripped apart a fuel-laden vessel in the Miri River and killed two crew members last week was possibly sparked off by human carelessness, initial investigations revealed.

A spark from welding work being done on the ship could have triggered the fire which resulted in a huge explosion at about 9am on Sept 13.

The ship, Ark 2, was berthed along the bank of the river, adjacent to a petrol-station, for servicing.

It was supposed to ferry hundreds of drums of fuel for people in the deep interior settlements.

State fire chief Mohd Shoki Hamzah said yesterday investigations and testing was still being carried out on board the wreckage to pinpoint the cause.

Miri police chief Asst Comm Jamaluddin Ibrahim said the initial probe showed that the fire and subsequent explosion happened when maintenance workers were carrying out servicing on board the ship.

“There must be strict compliance with safety measures on board such high-risk vessels,” he said.

Experts from the Sarawak and Brunei forensic departments were trying to identify a corpse found in Brunei’s Seria district, 50km from here, to determine if it was the vessel’s missing crew member Ting Huang Ung.

Ting went missing after the explosion and was believed to have been thrown into the river from the impact of the blast.

Brunei police found the body near Kuala Belait.

The other crew killed in the blast, Richard Emang, was found floating near Bintulu, 250km south of Miri two days ago.

Source

Original news of the explosion here.

15th September 2008 - Robbery!

Mon, 15 Sep 2008 11:12:44 +0800

At about 10am today (15th September 2008), just about less than an hour ago a snatch-and-run occurred from the bank in town center. The 2 snatch thieves ran off on bike, but crashed into a (or possibly several) cars, before fleeing on foot.

One was caught, the other ran away with the money. At this moment, the other one is still on the loose, and is said to be wearing an orange shirt. The stolen cash is said to be RM10K.

This pic was taken just right after the robber was caught.

Please note: most of what was written above were from hearsay from members of the public and some of what I saw myself. This information may not be entirely accurate.

The Clocktower, 2 years on

Sun, 22 Jun 2008 19:54:42 +0800

So two years on, the flyover's been built, fuel prices skyrocketed, crime skyrocketed but where is our faceless clocktower?

Here it is: Unchanged since Day 1 when I first reported on it.

They even said in order to 'preserve' the clocktower landmark, they actually built the flyover AROUND the clocktower.

Preservation of old landmarks is all good except.. what use is to preserve it if you don't even keep it working and let its sorry state to view to the public and tourists? And what good is preservation to one small clocktower when all those really old buildings in Old Town are totally torn down to be built up instead of the more logical approach of just renovating them?

Rampant crime activities?

Sat, 21 Jun 2008 10:24:59 +0800

Well, I'm not sure what the papers are saying (if they are saying anything worth mentioning at all) but just this morning my parent's friend's office was broken in and his safe and valuables stolen.

They are the exact same friends who accompanied my parents to the police station when my parents' car were stolen. Now they find themselves making the police report themselves with my parents accompanying them to the police station.

What are the chances of two sets of people who know each other having become victims of theft within the span of just a week or so?

Is that coincidental?

I'm putting my finger on rampant crime activity instead.

This is from a Mirians' perspective. Yes, crime activities in Miri are very high. I already see several cars hatchback have their back windscreen broken, probably as a result of a break-in, cars stolen - including that of my parents' - and heard countless tales of other crime incidents not even published in the papers because the newspapers companies are gutless sissies.

With the increases in fuel prices - with Sarawak being affected the worst - crime might worsen.

I don't care what the authorities say, I don't care what the papers are saying, and I don't care what the leaders are saying. We are living in a crime infested city and the people with the powers to do something about it is keeping completely quiet.

Coming 22nd June 2008 - 4th Sunday Recycling Activity

Thu, 19 Jun 2008 10:23:28 +0800

Miri Branch of Taiwan Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation Malaysia will be holding Recycling Activity at various locations in Miri on the 4th Sunday of every month.

Things we collect include newspapers, cardboards, paper items, aluminium items, plastic items, old clothes, toys, car batteries, and etc that are recycable. Sales from the recycling items are used for charity purpose.

Please be reminded polystyrene items cannot be recycled. As such, please do not send such items to our recycle points. Your co-operation will be much appreciated. And try to avoid using polystyrene items in your daily life.

Location:
1. Piasau Garden
2. Pujut 7 (in front the Pujut SUPP office)
3. Krokop 5
4. In front Faradale Shophouse
5. Morjaya

Date: 22nd June 2008
Time: 8.30 a.m. - 11.00 a.m

18th June 2008 - Malaysian Indigenous People Face Arrest at Logging Blockade

Thu, 19 Jun 2008 10:17:45 +0800

MIRI, Sarawak, Malaysia, June 17, 2008 (ENS) - A month-long blockade of logging roads by indigenous people in the state of Sarawak, Malaysia set to protest illegal logging on their communal lands is about to be broken up by police.

More than 100 indigenous Kenyah people gathered at the blockade site on the upper Moh River on the island of Borneo claim that the blockade is their only way of calling on representatives of a certain Company and government authorities to have a consultation and meet with them to listen to their problems and demands.

Otherwise, they say, the timber Company will continue to ignore their demands and plights.

Kenyahs blockade a logging road on the Upper Moh River. The banner says, "Do not rob the wealth from the poor people's land and give it to the rich in the city."

According to the Borneo Resources Institute in Miri, which issued a statement today on behalf of the Kenyah peoples, ever since the logging company started its logging operations in the upper Baram area, the indigenous communities have suffered the environmental impacts of logging.

They say the company simply encroached into their communal land and forest areas to carry out logging activities, without any consultation and consideration for their source of livelihood.

The Kenyahs have forwarded some "reasonable demands for social benefits and development of the community as they are the rights stakeholders that should be fairly benefit from forest resources in their area," the Borneo Resources Institute says.

The Kenyah say they resorted to the blockade action after the company and the state forest agency ignored their demands and their rights of access and claims to the benefits of their natural forest resources.

Since the blockade was erected, the company's logging activities have ceased. Hundreds of timber logs that had been felled are stacked up along the sides of the logging road because the Kenyahs have stopped all the logging trucks and other logging machines from entering the area and transporting timber from the area.

The Kenyahs have written a letter to the Sarawak Forestry Corporation, a state government agency, requesting that the agency carry out an urgent physical inspection of all logs that have been illegally felled by the company in the area.

They also called upon the Sarawak Forestry Corporation to stop them from carrying out its operation until all inspection of timber logs has been completed.

Their request has been ignored.

Believing that they have no other alternative and being compelled to bring attention to their plight, the indigenous Kenyahs of Kedaya Telang Usan area in Baram Region have resorted to staging this protest, which is still continuing.

On May 29, upon receiving complaints from the timber company, a group of personnel from the Sarawak Forestry Corporation, went to the blockade site to remove the wooden barricades, but they were restrained from dismantling the blockade.

As a result, the Sarawak Forestry Corporation filed a court action requesting a Warrant of Arrest, which has been granted by the Magistrate Court in Miri.

Police personnel from the Marudi Police Station were ordered to the blockade site to enforce the Warrant of Arrest on June 14. So far, no arrests have taken place.

[ Source ]

Rural Sarawakians "Forgotten"

Sat, 7 Jun 2008 15:24:50 +0800

A post by Uchu Keling on how our Prime Minster totally 'forgotten' about rural Sarawakians - most highly affected by the increases in diesel for transport.

You see, diesel is not only vital for river and land transportation for goods in the rural areas (where off-road vehicles are needed sometimes), they are absolutely essential for generators for electrical power. The sudden jump in diesel practically put a halt to everything.

We're all really angry about it - but us here in the city are still lucky enough to have the basic needs covered (at higher costs) but it is the rural areas that have become extremely critical.

See what Uchu Keling has to say.

7th June 2008 - Rush for cooking oil

Sat, 7 Jun 2008 10:39:45 +0800

MIRI: Panic buying of cooking oil has started in northern Sarawak following talk that the price of this essential commodity may increase by up to 50% today.

The cooking oil rush was seen at all supermarkets and retail outlets starting from 5pm yesterday, sparked by an SMS rumour.

Just two days ago, the rush for petrol and diesel fuel caused traffic jams amid panic buying hours before the hike on Wednesday night.

However, the Plantation Industries and Commodities Ministry has reassured consumers that there is no official approval for the price of 1kg, 3kg and 5kg bottles of cooking oil to be increased.

6th June 2008 - Rumors of cooking oil price increase

Fri, 6 Jun 2008 22:18:21 +0800

Rumors that cooking oil prices may be increasing sent shoppers scrambling to buy cooking oil today. Most shopping complexes and shops have cooking oil supplies emptied out.

5th June, 2008 - Fuel price hikes causes massive jams at petrol stations

Thu, 5 Jun 2008 09:51:58 +0800

Petrol will be RM2.70 a litre at midnight tonight The new price of petrol is RM2.70 per litre beginning midnight tonight, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi announced just a moment ago. The 78 sen hike or 40 per cent increase is still below the antiticpated RM4 per litre price projected earlier and among the cheapest in Asia.

Diesel prices increased by RM1 per liter, and petrol by RM0.78. It sucks to be a diesel owner now.

Oh by the way - transportation vehicles usually run on diesel. So that means, we shall await the effects of the huge jump in diesel prices to be reflected in the prices of goods. Will this be the price hike 'tsunami' everyone's been anticipating?

Gayu guru gerai nyamai, lantang nguan menua - 2008

Sat, 31 May 2008 12:58:42 +0800

Gawai Day or Gawai Dayak is a festive celebrated only in Sarawak on 1st June every year.

Gawai means a ritual or festival whereas Dayak is a collective name for the natives races in Sarawak. Thus Gawai Dayak literally means "Dayak Festival". Dayak would visit their friends and relatives, known as "ngabang".

To learn more about Gawai, click here.

Selamat Hari Gawai, everyone!

Finally! Some breeze & light rain!

Wed, 28 May 2008 14:09:01 +0800

The weather had been an oven lately just right after the high winds. This lasted several days and thankfully it started to rain intermittently (just as I had the car washed! It had to happen!) and it poured a lot last night.

This morning, we're finally getting breezey winds! And no haze!

27th May 2008 -700 made homeless in fire at longhouse

Tue, 27 May 2008 10:13:24 +0800

MIRI: A fire gutted a longhouse making some 700 dwellers homeless in northern Sarawak yesterday.

The fire occurred at about midnight at Rumah Banyang occupied by 41 Iban families.

Last month, three longhouse blocks were destroyed in the Punan Bah village in Kapit Division in central Sarawak, leaving 1,000 Punan villagers homeless.

Rumah Banyang, which was built during the colonial era, is located about 90km south of here in the Sibuti parliamentary constituency, sandwiched between Miri and the Bintulu parliamentary seats.

Miri Division Fire chief Serumi Ali said that the fire spread very fast and by the time they reached the scene, the longhouse was already gutted.

Several non-governmental bodies like the Red Crescent and the Tzu Chi Buddhist Society were providing aid to the victims.

[ Source ]

Please help provide aid to the longhouse victims by contacting by contacting these non-governmental bodies and ask how you can help. Fire safety equipment & training should be provided to the longhouse settlers to prevent such disasters occurring.

Contact Info:

美里紅心月會
Miri Red Crescent Society

Lot 312, Lorong 1
J. Bulan Sabit
PO Box 370
98007 Miri
Telephone : 6 085 411121
Fax : 085 420479

Tzu Chi Buddhist Society

Lot 1276-1279, 2nd Floor,
Centre Point Commercial Centre,
Jalan Melayu, 98000 Miri,
Sarawak.
Tel : 085-419753

Just. Bad. Planning.

Mon, 19 May 2008 00:38:42 +0800

Some mere months ago, this road intersection to Canada Hill was blocked off and a concrete divider built in between it to basically 'ease' traffic flow for the Puchong flyover in front of the Pelita Tunku Complex. That didn't really help the situation, and in fact, not only did it prevented easy access from town to Canada Hill (where the First Oil Well was), it also prevented traffic from turning around back to town without going the long way around and merging into other traffic causing a huge jam...

....today, as I passed by the area, I saw this:

They've AGAIN broken up that divider they built just months before for some sort of roadwork. What a complete waste of time and money!