Chiew Choon Man: US-Brunei Cooperation to Expand Business Opportunities, Attract Investment and Tourists to Boost the Economy

(Miri, 10th) Miri MP and Federal Deputy Minister of Tourism Chiew Choon Man stated that as a border city, Miri should leverage its proximity to Brunei as an advantage, and by strengthening cooperation between the two places, attracting more foreign tourists and investment, further expand the economic development of Miri.

He said this in his speech while attending the "2026 Miri Young Entrepreneurs Night" banquet, hosted by the Miri Chinese Chamber of Commerce’s Young Entrepreneurs Committee at the Palace Hotel Ballroom last night.

Chiew pointed out that during his recent visit to Brunei, in his capacity as Federal Deputy Minister, he met with the Secretary-General of Brunei's Ministry of Home Affairs, the Deputy Minister of Tourism, and the Minister of Transport to exchange views on future cooperation between the two places.

He said that ever since the implementation of the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone (JS-SEZ), he began to think whether Miri and Brunei, as border cities, could also explore a similar model of cooperation.

"If Johor and Singapore can do it, why can't Sarawak and Brunei?"

He said he has led a group of MPs to Brunei for exchanges, hoping to establish a win-win cooperation model between the two places.

Chiew pointed out that Miri possesses infrastructure such as an international airport and a deep-water port, and Brunei is only about a two-hour drive away from Miri. If these advantages are well utilized, it will bring great development potential to Miri.

He emphasized that cooperation between the two places should not only promote the movement of people and trade, but should also jointly attract more foreign investment and tourists, broadening the economic pie.

He said that Brunei is also hoping to promote economic diversification and reduce dependence on oil and local enterprises, so there is great space for cooperation in tourism and economic fields.

Chiew pointed out that the field with the fastest potential for cooperation is tourism, and both Brunei and Malaysia will be ushering in their respective Tourism Years next year, providing a good opportunity for the two countries to strengthen tourism cooperation.

He said that the Tourism Year itself is a marketing strategy that enables the government to invest more resources and promote the country's tourism image and packages through more forms of cooperation.

He revealed that Miri has already been conducting trials with some travel agencies, bringing in international tourists via Brunei International Airport, but they still face issues such as customs procedures and border congestion.

"What was surprising to me was that when I visited the Secretary-General of Brunei’s Ministry of Home Affairs, they were also very aware of this issue and were very proactive in wanting to resolve these congestion problems."

He said that both governments already have plans to upgrade their respective border checkpoints. Although the construction will take time, in the long run, it will help solve the border congestion problem.

Chiew also said that both sides will explore how to strengthen tourist bus services, so that travelers can more conveniently travel from Brunei Airport to Miri while also improving border crossing arrangements for tourists.

He said that with more international routes opening, including direct flights between Shenzhen and Brunei in the future, this will also create opportunities for Miri to attract more Chinese tourists.

In addition, he is actively promoting a series of familiarization trips (FAMTRIP), inviting West Malaysian media and online creators to experience tourism in Miri, and increasing Miri’s tourism exposure through social media.

"In the past few months, I have also invited some radio DJs, media, and online creators to experience Miri. The traffic generated by them exceeded a million, letting more Malaysians see and learn about the charm of Miri as a tourist city."

Chiew revealed that since visiting Brunei MPs last year, he has been working on a research report to explore how the cooperation between Malaysia and Brunei, with an economic zone created at the border, can boost Miri's economic development.

He said that economists will be invited to discuss the issue together and there are plans to hold a forum to share relevant topics with all stakeholders.

"Even if Miri cannot develop to be like Shenzhen, at the very least, we can take advantage of the border city’s dividends to make Miri even better."
   
On another note, Chiew believes that government policies and resources must be truly understood and accessed by the people, because in many cases it’s not that the government does not have policies, opportunities, or resources, but rather the relevant information does not reach the public effectively.

He said the government also needs to better understand the challenges that businesses face daily, so the Young Entrepreneurs Committee’s organization of government-business exchanges is worthy of continued promotion.

"A truly mature democracy is not where the government unilaterally formulates policies and then asks the people to cooperate, but where the government is willing to continuously listen to public opinions, amend policies, revise systems, and improve measures to genuinely meet people's needs."

Chiew also encouraged the Young Entrepreneurs Committee to continue hosting such activities so government agencies can interact directly with young entrepreneurs, sharing policy information while also helping to understand the actual challenges that young business owners face.

He said that young people should actively participate in public discussions, be brave in expressing independent views and critical opinions, and bring more innovative thinking and momentum for progress to society through continuous exchanges.