Monday, March 09, 2009

Miri Old Town...Going ...!

The last bit of Miri old town along China Street and King's Street is now being demolished!
Many of them have already moved out.
Also along China Street, the earlier one that was demolished is now being built.
This is what is left of the barber shop along Jalan Raja.
Frantic cheap sale. We think that they are not really cheap!

9 comments:

Daniel Yiek said...

It's a shame that sarawak towns are tearing down their heritage. There should be laws on conservation and incentives/subsidies to preserve

Anonymous said...

That tauke of the Ban Hup Coffeeshop in the first picture had said that if the shop is going to be torn down, he won't continue anymore.

He's been operating the coffee shop for many years, he's old, retired, and all his children had jobs and married; there is no reason for him to operate the business anymore.

It's a shame that it had to be torn down, the building still stands strong.

Anonymous said...

The 3rd photo is the barber shop that I'm having my haircut since I was a boy until today (maybe > 20 years).
They have shifted their operation (maybe temporarily) to a new shop located behind the open-air market.
Even the haircut for men have increased from RM8 to RM9, still ok lah...

William said...

Daniel, I agree with you. I think many of us are not very good at appreciating the "old".

Ian, I actually never went to that place to eat/drink anything. Too late now. A pity!
That old building is indeed very strong but lack a bit of maintenance.

Anonymous, I went to that shop once. Sat down and a barber came to me. He combed and found that my hair is not "straight" and told me that he doesn't know how to cut my hair. Since then, I didn't return.
One of them went to the "economy" "low" shops opposite the old market. He knows how to cut my hair.

RWP said...

i strongly disagree with this kind or major renovation. i took several images while in miri last year, those streets opposite the fish market, here http://shuttersyndicate.blogspot.com/2008/05/miri-main-city.html

Sir sc said...

Hi uncle William, can you post more photo of the new constructed shoplots?
thanks very much!

I have a opinion: due to changes in the law & requirement of safety, room requirement etc. Old things have to go. Structurally need to be repair & conserve.

But sad to say; its not documented as it is.

Miri need to learn how to conserve its architecture; else it will be gone & once you tell what Miri is; there is nothing much left.

William said...

Sir SC, actually I have quite a lot of photos of the old/new shops but no time to post them.

FM Luder said...

Agree with all the comments here. Maybe they're not 'pretty' to the eye at first but it's part of the history (no matter how small or large) of how Miri is today. Once people appreciate the history these buildings become beautiful.

I wonder if this cleanup operation and any compensation would cost the council/government more than actually restoring the buildings? That would make the residents happier than being forcibly relocated, surely?

William said...

FM Luder,
The gov is taking the easy and better way out. Most land in Miri are on lease term, ie, 60 or 90 years and they would expire. So, when the land title expires, we have to pay new assessment fees (could be very very expensive), and the gov may set new condition for renewal. In this case, the landowner has to rebuild.