Within the ‘pemakai menua’ are old longhouse sites known as ‘tembawai’.

‘Tembawai’ land can either be a communally or individually owned land. An old longhouse site is identified through the various fruit trees planted by its former occupants. It also serves as a community fruit-tree reserve area.

If a former longhouse is built on individual land, the ownership of the ‘tembawai’ land is reverted to the landowner, but rights of access to the fruit trees and planted rattan and palms remains with the planter and his descendents.

On the other hand, if the former longhouse is built on a communal land, then the rights of access to fruit trees, rattan etc in the ‘tembawai’ rest with the descendents of the individual who planted the trees, but the rights to the land are held by the community.

Therefore, an old longhouse site serves not only as an evidence of rights of a particular community over it, but also of particular individuals over certain fruit trees within the ‘tembawai’ area.