MIRI: A seven-meter-tall Tua Pek Kong statue, believed to be the largest in volume in Southeast Asia, has been successfully installed in Miri, Sarawak.

Workers spent ten hours to install the statue after the Tua Pek Kong temple committee borrowed a 250-ton crane from a shipyard to lift the statue weighing more than 30 tons, onto a platform in the temple compound.

The workers cheered “Heng! Ong! Huat!” after the statue was successfully installed.

The temple is embarking on an expansion plan costing RM8 million. The seven-meter-tall statue alone costs RM800,000.

Made of granite, the statue was ordered from China, and arrived in Miri early this month.

It is believed that the statue will be a new attraction for tourists visiting the city.

The statue is facing the sea as if the Tua Pek Kong is protecting the people of Miri.

Tua Pek Kong is a Taoist deity worshiped by the Chinese in Malaysia, Singapore and parts of Indonesia. It is also referred as the God of Prosperity.