MIRI: A daily express bus service linking Brunei International Airport directly with Miri is being explored as part of efforts to strengthen cross-border connectivity and use Brunei’s international air network to bring more tourists to northern Sarawak.
The proposed service would allow international travellers arriving at Brunei International Airport to continue their journey to Miri by direct bus, creating a more seamless travel link between Brunei Darussalam and Malaysia.
The initiative follows discussions earlier this month between Deputy Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture Malaysia and Miri Member of Parliament, Chiew Choon Man, and Brunei’s Minister of Transport and Infocommunications, Dato Seri Setia Awang Mohammed Riza Dato Paduka Mohammed Yunos.
Chiew said both sides were working to streamline arrangements for the proposed service, with stronger cross-border mobility expected to support tourism, regional economic activity and people-to-people exchanges.
The initiative is also expected to complement Visit Malaysia 2026, which will be extended into 2027, and Visit Brunei Year 2027.
“Connecting Brunei International Airport to Miri directly will provide convenient access to Miri and attract more international tourists to visit Miri,” Chiew said in a statement.
Brunei International Airport is directly connected to several major international cities, including Hong Kong, Beijing, Tokyo, Seoul, Jakarta, Manila and London.
Chiew said Miri could tap into this connectivity by establishing a direct land link between the airport and the city.
He pointed to a previous familiarisation trip involving more than 120 tourists from Hong Kong, who travelled to Miri via a direct flight from Hong Kong to Brunei before continuing overland.
The experience, he said, demonstrated the potential of closer air and land connectivity between the two countries.
“Previously, I have personally welcomed over 120 Hong Kong tourists to Miri on a familiarisation trip, and they have conveniently come to Miri through a direct flight from Hong Kong to Brunei,” he added.
Chiew opined that improving the efficiency of immigration procedures would be important to ensuring the proposed service could operate smoothly.
He added that he had been engaging with Malaysia’s Ministry of Transport and immigration authorities from both countries on arrangements to facilitate the service.
The proposed link would offer travellers a “one-trip, two-countries” experience, allowing visitors to combine Brunei and northern Sarawak in a single itinerary.
Chiew also proposed exploring the inclusion of Brunei in regional cruise itineraries linking Malaysia, China and Vietnam.
He said Malaysia and Brunei could examine the development of cruise routes under the BIMP-EAGA framework, with closer coordination between cruise operators and port authorities.
“Greater regional connectivity would give international visitors more options to experience multiple destinations in one trip while strengthening the region’s position as an integrated tourism market,” he said.
Chiew welcomed the Brunei minister’s interest in pursuing both initiatives and described Brunei Darussalam as a valued and strategic partner of Malaysia.
According to him, Brunei remains one of Malaysia’s top five source markets for tourist arrivals, with more than 1.5 million arrivals recorded in 2025.
He asserted closer cooperation would allow both countries to maximise opportunities arising from their respective tourism campaigns.
“By collaborating together, we can both work together to attract more tourists into our respective countries for Visit Malaysia 2026/2027 and Visit Brunei Year 2027 campaigns,” he said.
The proposed bus connection and potential cruise cooperation form part of broader efforts to strengthen tourism and transport links between Brunei and northern Sarawak, with Miri positioned to play a key role as a gateway to the region.
