The Borneo Post

High Street fire victims seek speedier reports

- By Jacqueline Raphael reporters@theborneop­ost.com

MIRI: Owners and tenants of shophouses at High Street destroyed or damaged by a fire on Sunday have called on the authoritie­s concerned to speed up processing the necessary documents.

The fire victims met with the Miri Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry ( MCCCI), Fire and Rescue Department ( Bomba), police, Miri City Council ( MCC), and Miri District Office yesterday.

“Today we are trying to help the affected shop owners and tenants, so that they can speed up their claims for insurance. They need to submit reports from the police and Bomba,” Assistant Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture Datuk Lee Kim Shin told reporters after the meeting.

“We have officers from both police and Bomba to help them expedite the reports.”

He said the investigat­ion on

Today we are trying to help the affected shop owners and tenants, so that they can speed up their claims for insurance. They need to submit reports from the police and Bomba.

the fire and forensics report have been completed and would be sent to the Kuching headquarte­rs for processing.

“The district officer is also here as the victims’ trade licence have also been burnt and the district office will help to issue duplicate copies of the licence for them.

“I want everything to be speeded up so that all of the shop owners affected by the fire can restart their businesses as soon as possible,” Lee said, adding the fire victims also need the reports to claim losses.

Datuk Lee Kim Shin, Assistant Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture

He advised the shop owners to submit their renovation plans early to MCC for approval so that constructi­on work can proceed immediatel­y.

Lee also reminded the shop owners not to change the facade of the buildings during renovation as the designs must be retained as part of Miri’s heritage.

“This is a very unfortunat­e incident and we want to help them restart their businesses as soon as possible. Any delay will cost them further loses. That is why all the agencies concerned are here today ( yesterday) and they will help to speed up the process,” he added.

It is understood that many customers also lost their MyKads and ATM cards during the chaos of the fire. They have been asked to file reports with the police in order to apply for replacemen­ts.

Among those present at the meeting were Piasau assemblyma­n Datuk Sebastian Ting, Miri Mayor Adam Yii, Miri Bomba chief Law Poh Kiong, and MCCCI chairman Lee Khoi Yun.

 ??  ?? (Seated from third left) Law, Ting, Yii, Lee and Khoi Yun are seen with the fire victims and representa­tives of various agencies.
(Seated from third left) Law, Ting, Yii, Lee and Khoi Yun are seen with the fire victims and representa­tives of various agencies.

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