Kuala lumpur: Sarawak longhouses have unique advantages that make them ideal community-based tourism products, said Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing. He stated that these longhouses align with the ministry's Malaysia Homestay Experience Programme, offering a cultural experience not found anywhere else in the world.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Tiong emphasized that, in addition to preserving cultural heritage, developing community tourism could create economic opportunities for local residents through homestays, handicrafts, traditional food, cultural performances, and other activities.

Tiong remarked that longhouses are not only a cultural heritage that needs preservation but also symbolize a harmonious, united community life evolving with modernisation. "This uniqueness is what makes longhouses among the most authentic and valuable cultural tourism attractions to be introduced to the world," he expressed in a Facebook post today.

He also urged the media and visitors who have experienced longhouses to share their stories to dispel misconceptions about indigenous communities in Borneo. Tiong highlighted that longhouse communities today live in a progressive and open environment, while maintaining their unique cultural identity. This value positions longhouses as more than just residences but as symbols of harmony and unity among the people of Sarawak.