| |
GETTING HERE
For participants from Indonesia and Philippines, kindly refer to this logistic plan for possible air travel routes.
ABOUT SARAWAK
The economic structure of Sarawak is quite similar to that of it's East Malaysian neighbour Sabah, whereby, it is largely export-oriented and primary commodities dominated. The primary sectors (i.e., mining, agriculture, and forestry) make up about 40% of the state's total real Gross Domestic Product (GDP), followed by the secondary sector (i.e., manufacturing and construction) with about slightly more than 30% of total real GDP.
Sarawak is blessed with an abundance of natural resources. LNG and petroleum, have provided the mainstay of the state's economy for decades. Sarawak is also one of the world's largest exporter of tropical hardwood timber. However, the state government has imposed strict log-production quotas over the recent years to ensure sustainable forestry management. Sarawak still, however, produces approximately 9 to 10 million cubic metres of logs annually.
With such vast land expanse, Sarawak has large tracts of land suitable for commercial agricultural development. Approximately 32% or about 4.0 million hectares of the state's total land area have been identified as suitable agricultural land. Nevertheless, less than 9% of this is planted with productive permanent crops, while the balance is still under shifting cultivation for hill padi (rice) which is estimated at more than 1.6 million hectares. The main commercial crops are oil palm, which has been increasing steadily over the years, sago, and pepper.
Since the 1980s, Sarawak has started to diversify and transform its economy into a more industrialized one. This endeavour has been seeing continuing success, with manufacturing and hi-tech industries now playing a significant role in shaping the economic expansion of the state.
The global economic environment is expected to remain robust and dynamic right up to the next decade, with both the industrial and developing countries anticipated to maintain sustainable output growth. Global trade is predicted to expand by about 8%. This continuing favourable external outlook should keep the high growth momentum of the nation's economy at a steady and stable level.
As the largest state in the Federation of Malaysia, Sarawak aims to be fully developed state along with the rest of the country by 2020. Sarawak has identified four sectors as key sources of growth:
- manufacturing
- commercial agriculture
- construction
- services sectors
The availability of vast competitively priced land and rich reserves of natural resources has made Sarawak an attractive choice for manufacturing operations among investors.
ABOUT MIRI – The Host City of the EU-EAGA BizTech Partnership Events
Miri is a city in northern Sarawak, Malaysia, on the island of Borneo. Miri is home to a population of about 300,000 people and is thus the second largest city in Sarawak. It serves as the government administrative centre of Miri District (4,707.1 square kilometers) in Miri Division of Sarawak. Miri was elevated to city status on May 20, 2005 and it is the 10th city in Malaysia (Sarawak is the only state in Malaysia with 2 cities, Kuching, the Capital and Miri) and its local authority i.e. Miri City Council is the 10th city council in Malaysia.
Miri is the birthplace of Sarawak's and Malaysia's petroleum industry, which remains the major industry of the city. The first oil well was drilled by Shell in 1910, and is now a state monument and one of Miri's tourist attractions. Shell also built Malaysia's first oil refinery in Lutong, a suburb of Miri in 1914. Recently, vast oil reserves were discovered just offshore northeast of the city. Miri has grown phenomenally since oil was first discovered in the early 1900s, burgeoning into the modern and dynamic business, commercial and educational centre it is today. The city's other major industries include processed timber, oil palm production, and tourism.
 |
Mulu National Park |
Transportation
Air transport
Miri Airport is the third busiest airport in Malaysia in terms of aircraft movement after Kuala Lumpur International Airport and Kota Kinabalu International Airport and receives flights from Kuala Lumpur, Johor Bahru, Kuching, Kota Kinabalu, Labuan, Sibu, Bintulu and many other smaller towns throughout Sarawak. The airport is also an important aviation hub for MAS wings's fleets to rural services that operate connecting flights to isolated communities in the interior. It serves as the essential airway to national parks such as Mulu Caves, Niah Caves, and Lambir Hills. MASwings is headquartered in Miri Airport. Malaysia Airlines and AirAsia operate flights from Johor Bahru, Kuching and Kuala Lumpur to Miri.
By land
Miri is accessible by road from Bandar Seri Begawan (Brunei) and all major towns in Sarawak. Connected to major towns in Sarawak and to Brunei and Sabah by the Pan-Borneo Highway.
Tourism
From a bustling oil town, Miri is experiencing a development boom into a brand new resort city. The skyline of Miri has changed a lot ever since. There are ambitious plans for Miri. The Miri Waterfront and Marina Park projects will give a complete facelift to Miri City in the near future.
Miri is often called the Northern Gateway to Sarawak and is one of the state's main and most important tourist attractions. It boasts to be surrounded by four world-class national parks (Mount Mulu National Park, Niah National Park, Lambir Hills National Park and Loagan Bunut National Park).
National Parks
The Gunung Mulu National Park is a certified UNESCO World Heritage Site and boasts the world's largest natural cave chamber, the Sarawak Chamber.
The Niah Caves (the largest caves in SE Asia) in the Niah National Park are an important archaeological and historical site as one of the oldest human remains in South East Asia was found here.
Lambir Hills National Park contains very diverse species of flora and fauna and is ranked as the 12th mega-biodiverse site in the world. The Loagan Bunut National Park has Sarawak's largest natural lake and also contains diverse species of birds. There is also the recently gazetted Miri-Sibuti Marine National Park that has one of the region's most beautiful coral reefs and diverse marine life.
OTHER INFORMATION
Sarawak Immigration Requirements: All international visitors are required to fill in an immigration form upon arrival. Malaysia has strict anti-drug trafficking laws and those caught smuggling illegal drugs will be given mandatory death penalty.
Travel Documents:
Non-Malaysian travellers must possess a national passport or internationally recognised travel document with at least six months validity endorsed for travelling to Sarawak.
Visa Requirements:
- No visa is required for nationals of Commonwealth countries except for Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
- No visa is required for a stay not exceeding 3 months for nationals of Austria (Vienna), Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Poland, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden and United Kingdom
- No visa is required for a stay of less than 1 month for nationals of all ASEAN countries except Myanmar. For a stay exceeding one month, a visa will be required, except for nationals of Brunei and Singapore.
- No visa is required for a stay less than 1 month for nationals of Estonia, Greece, Latvia, Lithuania, Portugal and Slovenia.
- Visa is required for the nationals of Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Nepal, Colombia and PR China.
Source: Immigration Department of Malaysia; Regulations are subject to changes. For further details, kindly log on to: http://www.imi.gov.my/eng/perkhidmatan/im_HapusVisa.asp
Language: Expect to find Malay and a variety of native tongues spoken in the marketplace. However, English is widely understood and used in the commercial world.
Religion: World religion such as Islam, Christianity, Buddhism and Hinduism are practiced alongside animistic beliefs. Mosques, churches and temples can be found in many towns.
Working Hours: Banks are open Mondays to Fridays from 9.30am to 4.30pm. Offices usually operate from 9am-5pm, Mondays to Fridays, while shopping centres are open from 10am-10am every day.
Currency: The local currency is Ringgit Malaysia (RM) and comes in RM100, RM50, RM10, RM10, RM5 and RM1 notes. RM1 is equivalent to 100 sen and coins come in denominations of 50 sen, 20 sen, 10 sen, 5, sen and 1 sen. Money changers are available in major towns and airports. Credit cards are widely accepted in urban areas.
Tipping: Service charges are included in billings for food, beverages and accommodation. Tipping is not customary.
Communications: Mobile telecommunications cover many parts of Sarawak except for the most remote area. Public phones are available sporadically in many places.
Medical: Government hospitals, clinics and dispensaries are located in all towns and larger villages. Private medical practitioners and pharmacies are listed in the local phone directory. However, those who need specific medication are advised to bring along adequate supplies.
Time: 8 hours ahead of GMT
Private vehicles: Visiting yachts, boats and aircrafts are welcome. Do contact the relevant authority before starting your trip.
Disabled friendly facilities: Facilities are limited. Please check with your accommodation of choice.
Clothing: Shoes must be removed before entering homes, longhouses or mosques. Long sleeved shirts and long pants or skirts are appropriate for visiting places of worship. Nude sunbathing or swimming is unacceptable. Do bring your swimsuit. Light, casual and a good pair of walking or trekking shoes would suffice for day activities. Mosquito repellent is advisable if you plan to jungle trekking, but you may also purchase them from pharmacies here.
Souvenirs for home: Sarawak is the region's most famous pepper producer - be sure to bring some back for your friends. Many visitors from other parts of Malaysia take with them frozen seafood and caviar of a local fish. Local food such as shrimp paste, fruit preserves and pickles allow you to share a taste of Sarawak with your friends. Kain songket, batik, beaded jewellery, weaved mats and rattan baskets are reminders of the native's ingenious use of natural products.
Leave behind: Your footprints and everything you see in the Natural Parks and wilderness. Sarawak has a tough wildlife law. All animals and plants are protected under such law. Enjoy the beauty of this paradise and allow others after you to enjoy it too. |
|
