MIRI: The city’s oldest temple, Tua Pek Kong at Jalan Bendahara here is currently undergoing refurbishment and extension works to boost its tourist attraction while providing educational value to the community, especially the younger generation.
The extension and renovation works on the 107 year-old temple costing RM4million, started end of last year and will take about 12 months to complete.
Situated next to Miri’s old fish market, the temple is the oldest in this district.
It is one of the rare buildings that survived the Japanese air raids during World War II.
“During the Japanese air raids in World War II, the temple miraculously survived the bombings with no damage at all,” said Minister of Transport Sarawak Datuk Lee Kim Shin during his site visit today.
Lee said the renovation and extension works on the temple were about 50 percent complete.
The works involved construction of a new two-storey block, which will house the administration office, a heritage museum and a seven metre-tall statue of the temple’s deity, Tua Pek Kong.
“During our Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg’s visit prior to the fasting month recently, he had presented a cheque on behalf of the Sarawak government to Miri Chinese Charitable Trust Board amounting at RM1million to help fund the extension and renovations works of the temple,” he said.
The temple is managed by the Miri Chinese Charitable Trust Board.
Also present was the board’s chairman Temenggong Yong Vui Seng.
