KUCHING, May 29: Although Dudong assemblyman Dato Sri Tiong King Sing’s visits to longhouses have been less frequent recently, his commitment to revitalising the Dayak community remains steadfast through the initiatives of the Ministry of Tourism, Arts, and Culture.
Believing that injecting more activities will stimulate greater economic momentum, and improve the standards of living for the longhouse communities, the Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister hopes that the Dayaks in his constituency will not harbour the thought that he is neglecting their issues after taking office as a minister.
“Instead, once the ministry’s affairs are on the right track, I will make more time to be on the ground to understand my community’s matters,” said Tiong in a press statement.
He said currently, the ministry is actively implementing a series of measures to highlight the unique charm of Sarawak’s multi-ethnic traditional festivals to the international community.
This involves promoting Sarawak’s Dayak culture to better reach the international tourism market, implementing homestay programmes in longhouse areas, allocating more resources to training, and showcasing Sarawak’s many unique tourism and cultural assets that will deliver the best experiences to travellers.
“We are in it together to forge a brighter future together. The homestay programme will be able to effectively help villagers develop more diversified sources of income and improve the standards of living for our Dayak compatriots.
“I call on our friends in the community to offer their best hospitality and cordial welcomes to tourists, making them feel at home when they visit from all across the world,” said Tiong.
For the upcoming Gawai Dayak celebrations, he said he will be bringing friends from Peninsular Malaysia to longhouses to experience the delightful festival
“Dayak culture is synonymous with the Borneo rainforest, and the harvest festival can act like a vibrant interactive museum, featuring the ancient wisdom and customs of the Dayak to co-exist with nature.
“Let visitors explore and experience the civilisation of the Dayak and other Sarawak ethnic groups to showcase the pride and charms of Sarawak on the world stage,” said Tiong. — DayakDaily
