About Lahad Datu

Lahad Datu is a town and district located in Tawau Division, in the east of Sabah, eastern Malaysia on the island of Borneo. It occupies the peninsula on the north side of Darvel Bay. Its population was estimated to be around 118,000 in 1991 and 156,059 in the 2000 census. Lahad Datu is surrounded by stretches of cocoa and oil palm plantations. It is also an important timber exporting port. The town has an airport for domestic flights.

A settlement is believed to have existed here in the 15th century, as excavations have unearthed Ming dynasty Chinese ceramics. Just east of Lahad Datu, is the village of Tunku, a notorious base for Lanun pirates and slave traders in the 19th century. Lahad Datu is a gateway to the Danum Valley Conservation Area, the Tabin Wildlife Reserve in the east, and Madai Caves further south.

In the end of the 14th century, it was believed that Islam was first introduced in Sabah. This based on a jawi manuscript in the Idahan language dated 1408 A.D, which gives an account of an Ida'an man named Abdullah in Darvel Bay who embraced Islam.[1]

Lahad Datu is also home to Sabah's population of Orang Bajau and other ethnic especially Cocos Island Malays, who were settled in this area in the 1950s when the Cocos Islands became part of Australia.

Besides, Lahad Datu also has palm oil refineries.

The Palm Oil Industrial Cluster (POIC)[2] is located near the Lahad Datu Port and will be completed by Mid-2007. It consists of 1,150 acres (5 km) of land developed (with a centralised bulking facility and a jetty, currently under construction, which will have a draft of 20 meters, making it one of the few deep sea ports in the world) specifically for palm oil downstream industries. To date, 18 companies have bought land in POIC with eight being companies involved in the production of palm biodiesel. POIC is a wholly State-owned company under the purview of the Ministry of Industrial Development. Its Chairman is the current minister, Datuk Dr. Ewon Ebin and the Chief Executive Officer is Mr.Wong Yu Chin (ASDK,BSK).

Lahad Datu is also the base of Borneo Child Aid Society (Locally Humana Child Aid Society Sabah) Homepage which provides education for more than 5000 children of plantation workers and others without access to basic education.

Read the full article at Wikipedia.