December 21, 2009 17:06 PM
LAHAD DATU, Dec 21 (Bernama) -- Lahad Datu has been given the nickname of 'Palm City' as it is the largest oil palm producer in Sabah.
The town's rebranding was launched by the Assistant Minister to the Chief Minister, Datuk Datu Nasrun Datu Mansur who is also the Lahad Datu assemblyman.
"The rebranding of Lahad Datu is relevant as the city is fast developing from revenue earned through the oil palm industry in the area.
"If possible we will gazette it (the nickname). We will study the relevant regulation before further action is taken," he told reporters after the rebranding ceremony.
In line with its nickname, he asked the local authority to plant more trees from the palm species apart from oil palm trees around Lahad Datu to beautify the city and to attract more tourists.
Lahad Datu was derived from Bajau words meaning the state of Datu. It was believed that the phrase emerged after the migration of the Datu Royalty from Sulu Islands in the south of the Philippines to the Sabahan Gulf (now known as Darvel Gulf) at the end of the 18th century.
Earlier Datu Nasrun said the state government would launch a 'war against rubbish' programme next year as an aggressive move to increase the cleanliness level in the city in keeping up with the rebranding.
He said among the programme included the enforcement of the government by-law that empowered the authority to take action against individuals who disposed rubbish at random, and those found guilty would be required to do social work such as sweeping the rubbish during the day.
Meanwhile, he said the electricity power needed in Lahad Datu for individual and industrial use had reached critical stage and required immediate action.
He said the electricity power shortage would affect the foreign investors who were keen to invest in the area.
Datu Nasrun also defended the federal government's decision to build a 300MW-electric plant using coal at Felda Sahabat here, saying that if the project were delayed, the Palm Oil Industrial Cluster would not be accomplished.
"The project to be implemented will be studied thoroughly including carrying out the Environmental Impact Assessment, and I believe the project will not be harmful," he said.
He said the electricity power plant based on the coal energy was not something new because many states such as Perak, Selangor and Sarawak had generated electricity power using coal.
-- BERNAMA
