Collaboration in cultural tourism can highlight Borneo"s shared heritage
- nabalunews
- 4 hours ago
- 2 min read
22 April 2025
PENAMPANG: Sabah and Sarawak should further strengthen their collaboration in cultural tourism to showcase Borneo’s shared heritage, said Sabah’s Assistant Minister of Tourism, Culture and Environment, Datuk Joniston Bangkuai.
He emphasised that both states possess significant potential to jointly promote Borneo as a seamless travel destination through cultural trails, visitor exchanges, and community-based attractions.
“Sarawak’s tagline is ‘Gateway to Borneo’, but ideally, we want visitors to enter Sarawak and conclude their journey in Sabah,” Joniston remarked. He added that the emphasis should be on fostering connections, not competition, by presenting attractions across both states as part of a unified Bornean experience.
Joniston made these comments during a visit by Sarawak’s Deputy Minister of Youth, Sports and Entrepreneur Development, Dato Gerald Rentap Jabu, who led community leaders from Betong to the Koisaan Cultural Village at the Hongkod Koisaan here on Tuesday.
Also present was Huguan Siou Tan Sri Joseph Pairin Kitingan, President of the Kadazan Dusun Cultural Association (KDCA).
As chairman of the Sabah Tourism Board, Joniston highlighted the importance of structured collaboration between the two governments in areas such as cultural preservation and community development through joint programmes and cross-border initiatives.
“There is a growing need to empower our communities through heritage—not just to preserve our culture, but to transform it into economic opportunities, particularly in rural areas,” he said.
He also proposed policy support for cultural entrepreneurship and youth-driven innovation rooted in indigenous knowledge.
Sharing similar views, Jabu stated that Sarawak is open to deeper collaboration, particularly in organising reciprocal cultural visits and joint youth engagement programmes.
“As neighbouring states, we should be working more closely. Our cultures are quite similar, and it makes sense to have more frequent exchanges,” he said.
“In fact, I would like to invite KDCA to join us in celebrating a Cultural Festival this June in my constituency,” said the Layar assemblyman.
Jabu also mentioned his ongoing engagement with Sabahan students in Sarawak, especially at UNIMAS, where he regularly encourages them to participate in cultural events to stay connected with their heritage.
Welcoming the Sarawak visitors, Pairin stated that Sabah and Sarawak share similar aspirations, and therefore, initiatives that bring the two neighbouring states closer should be intensified
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