Premier: Free public smart bus service govt’s ‘angpow’ for Miri
MIRI: Miri will soon offer a free public smart bus service, says Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg.
In announcing the ‘angpow’ for Miri, Abang Johari said the initiative would further strengthen public transport and tourism in the northern region.
“We want to improve the public transport, as you know, (state Transport Minister Dato Sri Lee) Kim Shin has mentioned changing the old buses to new buses.
“Once you’ve got free mobility, tourists also get free too. That means you can attract tourists over, and that is my ‘angpow’, free buses,” he said during a Chinese New Year here on Monday night.
Currently public bus services here cost RM1 per person.
Abang Johari also stressed about the state government’s commitment of developing Miri as a smart city, and upgrading all basic infrastructures here to make Miri the hub of the northern region.
He also said Miri would soon have its own convention centre to complement the state government’s efforts to make the city a tourism hub in the northern region.
“We have approved a site for your own convention centre. They will start construction, maybe next year.
“I think it is almost as big as the one in Kuching (Borneo Convention Centre Kuching),” he said, adding that more people would come to Miri for meetings and conventions once the centre is completed.
Meanwhile, Lee who is Senadin assemblyman, thanked Abang Johari for the RM5 million allocation for the new smart bus programme here this year.
He added that the Premier had also set aside a similar amount for the same purpose next year.
“This is a project approved for Miri under the 12th Malaysia Plan. Under this programme, all the 14 old Miri City buses will be replaced with new smart buses,” he explained.
Lee also thanked Abang Johari for approving the Miri Lorry Terminal Project, currently in the design stage and scheduled to call for tender by the second quarter of this year.
He said the terminal would help resolve the lorry parking problem here, especially for lorries on transit to Brunei, Limbang, Lawas, and Sabah.
Among those present at the dinner were Deputy Premiers Datuk Amar Dr Sim Kui Hian and Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan; State Secretary Datuk Amar Mohamad Abu Bakar Marzuki; Deputy Minister I for Public Health, Housing and Local Government Sarawak Datuk Penguang Manggil; and Deputy Minister in Sarawak Premier’s Department (Labour, Immigration and Project Monitoring) Datuk Gerawat Gala.