Ling (right) and Tan show the overgrown weeds at Canada Hill.
MIRI: The Grand Old Lady at Canada Hill sorely needs a facelift to save it from further deterioration due to neglect.
Piasau assemblyman Alan Ling Sie Kiong made this observation during his visit to the monumental landmark, denoting the oil town’s century-old heritage, with party colleague and Stampin MP Julian Tan recently.
“The authorities must carry out immediate repairs and do regular maintenance on the historical site of the first oil well in Sarawak and Malaysia,” he said.
He was dismayed to see the unkempt condition of the city’s popular tourist site, saying the Grand Old Lady is a must-visit historical venue for tourists and first-time visitors to Miri, without which their visit would be incomplete.
“Mirians should be proud to show off the Grand Old Lady in all its glory, but how can we do that without a sense of shame, when its conditions are far from expected?” Ling added, while suggesting improvements for the authorities to note.
Among others, he drew the attention of the authorities to the barren information boards, and urged them to cut the overgrown weeds that had overwhelmed the ornamental flowers, repair damaged lightings and do repainting as paintwork has peeled off.
He also noticed that not even a single officer was around to guide tourists, and proposed that at least two trained officers be stationed there to also help deter vandalism.
“The Grand Old Lady is an icon that represents the long history of petroleum in Miri, and has been declared a protected historical site by the government, and its poor upkeep imparts a negative image of the resort city that will hit local tourism here,” he added.