Pullman Miri Waterfront lauded for CSR effort

MIRI (Feb 4): Pullman Miri Waterfront has been commended as a caring and compassionate corporate citizen and a model for other companies to emulate in carrying out corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives for the surrounding community, said Dato Sri Lee Kim Shin.

The Sarawak Transport Minister said the hotel has consistently upheld its social obligations by organising community-based programmes every year, particularly during festive seasons such as Christmas and Chinese New Year.

“When celebrating a festival, we should not forget those who are less fortunate. By giving them the opportunity to join in and celebrate together, it makes a meaningful difference,” he said when officiating the Gong Xi Raya dinner at Pullman Miri Waterfront hotel here on Monday night.

He added that such initiatives help ensure the less fortunate feel included as part of society and are able to experience the joy and atmosphere of festive celebrations, which in turn bring positive impact to the community.

A total of 70 orphans from the Sarawak Orphans Welfare Board (Peryatim) Miri were invited to the dinner and to experience the Chinese New Year festive atmosphere during the programme.

According to Lee, the hotel’s CSR efforts reflect Sarawak’s unique identity, which is widely recognised for its harmony, unity, mutual respect and close ties among communities of different religions and cultural backgrounds.

He said that in Sarawak, festivals are celebrated collectively by the entire community.

“Chinese New Year is not only for the Chinese community. In Sarawak, almost everyone celebrates it together. We hold open houses and people from various cultural backgrounds come to visit and exchange festive greetings.

“The same spirit applies to other festivals. During Hari Raya, we extend Selamat Hari Raya to our Muslim friends, and when Gawai arrives, we wish our Dayak friends Selamat Hari Gawai. This is what makes Sarawak special — we celebrate together regardless of our differences,” he said.

Touching on development matters, Lee said the Sarawak government continues to strengthen the business and tourism sectors, particularly positioning Miri as a resort city.

He noted that AirBorneo has commenced operations, with its flights running smoothly, and plans are underway to expand its regional routes in the second half of the year, subject to regulatory approvals.

Lee said Miri also needs more five-star hotels to attract international events.

“At present, Miri has only about two five-star hotels with around 500 rooms. To host large-scale international conferences and events, we require at least 2,000 to 3,000 five-star hotel rooms, supported by four-star hotels,” he said.

With the development of a convention centre and other projects in Miri, Lee said the demand for quality hotel accommodation has become increasingly critical.

He added that with these developments in place, Miri has strong potential to emerge as a major destination for international events and conferences in the region.

Also present at the dinner were Interhill Hospitality chief operating officer Eric Tan, Pullman Miri Waterfront general manager Randy Nickcolas Constantine and Miri City deputy mayor Cr Ariffin Mohamad.