MIRI (May 29): Miri City Council (MCC) has assured its support to the development of the Kenyalang Smart City project as it would help accelerate the city’s next phase of development.

Miri Mayor Adam Yii said the overall development of the project also aligns with Miri City’s vision in building a green, smart and most liveable international resort city.

“The overall development of this project will provide the much needed impetus for Miri City’s next phase of development, as well as align with Miri City’s vision in building Miri City into the green, smart and most liveable international resort city,” he said.

He was speaking at the Kenyalang Smart City Summit here today.

Yii said Miri City has come a long way from a small fishing village since oil was found, developed and produced in 1910 by Shell with the first well drilled on top of the Canada Hill, which survived Japanese Occupation in WWII, and elevated to city status in 2005.

Miri has a much more cosmopolitan character as compared to other places in Sarawak, he said.

He said Miri is on track towards development after being selected as the pioneer city for the Smart City Initiatives by the state government on January 30, 2020.

“Miri City is now embarking on the second phase of the Smart City Initiatives like Miri City Command Center, expansion of Safe Park and Safe City Initiatives and further digitisation of Miri City Council processes and documentation.

“In 2023, Miri City Council adopted the new vision for Miri City. That is to develop Miri City into a ‘Green, Smart and the most Liveable International Resort City’,” he said.

Adding on, Yii said Miri has a population of about 350,000 and a land size of about 5,200 square kilometres (sq kms), which is about seven times the land size of Singapore which is 734.3 sq kms, and it has abundant tourism attractions.

Home to 34 ethnic groups of Sarawak living peacefully and harmoniously together, he said it is the gateway to northern Sarawak where Mulu National Park, an Unesco Heritage Site, and another has also been proposed by the government for such status.

“If Niah National Park is accorded the Unesco Heritage Site status, then we have two Unesco Heritage Sites in Miri, out of four sites. That would be five Unesco Heritage Sites,” he said.

Offshore of Miri is also well known for its excellent deep sea sports fishing sites and scuba diving sites, he added.