KUALA LUMPUR – The Sarawak Cultural Village (SCV) has pledged to rebuild its iconic Bidayuh Longhouse as soon as possible, after a fire broke out at around 7.30pm on Sunday evening.
The blaze, which was swiftly brought under control by firefighters from Petra Jaya, Tabuan Jaya and Padungan, destroyed the Bidayuh Longhouse — one of the main attractions at the award-winning cultural showcase.
No injuries or casualties were reported, and SCV confirmed that all other longhouses and facilities within the village remain intact and safe for visitors.
“The Bidayuh house is actually empty. There are no occupants, except during festivals (such as the annual Rainforest Music Festival),” Zaini Zainuddin, SCV’s director of sales, marketing, and events, told Sarawak Edition.
According to Zaini, the cause of the fire remains under investigation by the Fire and Rescue Department. SCV’s in-house task force also assisted firefighters in preventing the blaze from spreading to nearby structures.
“Our own cultural village task force took quick preventive measures to stop the fire from reaching the other houses. So far, only the Bidayuh house was affected,” he said.
Built in 2007 to accommodate growing visitor numbers, the Bidayuh Longhouse had replaced the original structure from SCV’s early days. The house also contained artefacts contributed by the local Bidayuh community and items loaned from the museum.
“It’s very popular with visitors, and this is the first time in 35 years that we’ve faced such a challenge,” Zaini said.
“God willing, we will try to repair it as soon as possible, especially with Visit Malaysia Year 2026 coming up.”
He said the cultural village would seek assistance from the museum and the Bidayuh community in restoring artefacts that did not survive the blaze.
“Once the investigation is complete, we will begin cleaning and restoration work immediately,” he added.
The incident comes as Malaysia prepares for Visit Malaysia Year 2026, which received a RM500 million allocation under Budget 2026, including the total RM700 million to promote tourism nationwide — a move industry players say will help boost cultural and heritage destinations such as SCV. — Oct 13, 2025