Visitors from Brunei and Singapore are giving Miri a miss, opting instead for Kota Kinabalu for weekend getaways and shopping.

This is due to the increasing perception that northern Sarawak is no longer as safe as it used to be for visitors and locals alike.

Singapore is a relatively new market for Sarawak, now that budget carrier AirAsia operates direct flights from there to Miri.

“There could be some business strategy at work to discourage Bruneians from coming to Miri for shopping or other activities,” said Miri OCPD Jamaluddin Ibrahim.

snatch thief 031104 “Miri, like other cities and towns, is not free of crime. It happens everywhere in the world.”

Crime in Miri, he claimed, had dipped last year but did not provide figures to support his assertion.

He said he does not think that Bruneians are being targeted by criminals, assuring them that Miri is safe.

At the same time, however, he blamed the media for ‘playing up’ reports on crime in Miri, citing the example of a robbery on New Year’s day where a family of foreigners was robbed at gunpoint on the outskirts of Miri.

Jamaluddin pledged that the police will intensify patrols and monitor strategic areas frequented by visitors, including shopping centres. He called for public feedback to assist the police.

There have also been complaints that taxi drivers in Miri overcharge visitors, a situation of which the police are aware because of the numerous complaints lodged.

This has prompted an urgent plea by Bumiputera Taxi Association chief Abang Ideris Abang Jemali “not to overcharge passengers”.

Miri Taxi Association chairperson Chang Jun Liung has warned that any violation of the laws, including overcharging passengers, would “tarnish the image of taxi operators”.

Immigration figures from Brunei have shown a drop in the number of visitors to Sarawak, from 1,085,115 in 2008 to 1,061,357 last year.

tourism malaysia scandal Brunei was fifth on the list of countries that were top tourism contributors to the Malaysian economy last year, according to Tourism Malaysia figures.

Bruneians and expatriates working in the oil-rich sultanate generally make a beeline for Sarawak, with Sabah coming second, to spend their petro-dollars. One Brunei dollar is the equivalent of RM2.50. Many stay in Miri and commute to Brunei daily by road and ferry.

Tourists spent RM6 billion last year in Sarawak and the modest expectation is for a 10 percent rise this year. The state expects an average of three million tourists a year.

Promotional events

Tourism Sarawak has lined up 39 tourism events this year covering all cities and towns in the state to “bring in big-spending tourists to fill the state’s coffers”.

These include the Miri International Jazz Festival in May, Rainforest World Music Festival in July in Kuching, Borneo International Kite Festival from September to October and the Borneo International Yachting Festival in October.

There will be an average of three events a month reflecting the cultural, ritual, musical, sports and arts aspects of the state.

Kota Kinabalu in Sabah is increasingly emerging to rival and outdo Miri, Bandar Seri Begawan and Labuan. It offers two spanking new international airports, one nearing completion, and is the second busiest air hub in Malaysia after the Kuala Lumpur International Airport.

The city connects directly to nine international destinations and hosts many international standard hotels and shopping complexes. 1Borneo, for example, is the largest shopping hypermall in the whole of Borneo.