Cocos Community Also Lived in Segama Lahad Datu

The Cocos Community who settled down at Mile 6, Segama Road, Lahad Datu after the tobacco closed down. They came to Segama from Cocos-Keeling Islands in 1950 and 1952. A small group of 41 families left to work at Pamol Estate in Sandkan in 1960, Hj Dick was their leader. What is left of the tobacco plantation is an old smoke house and the site of the pump house near the Segama River. Lahad Datu is a town in the Sabah's East Coast. It is a one hour journey by air. It has a small airport that can only take the Fokker Friendship aircraft.

Cocos Scheme Kunak, Lahad Datu

Kokos Scheme Kunak, Lahad Datu

A small town formerly known as Mostyn was renamed Kunak after the Straits Steamship named Kunak. In this town lives some Cocos Community at an oil palm scheme called Kokos Scheme. This scheme is now managed by FELCRA, a Federal Government Agency that manages land rehabilitation. The landowners used to work at the abaca and tobacco estates owned by the British companies. I had the opportunity to meet some of the 1st generation who came to Lahad Datu way back in 1950s to work in the tobacco estates in Segama and Mostyn Estates. It will only take you about 1 hour from Tawau municipality to reach this Scheme. They have the modern amenities like school, 'surau' and a multi-purpose hall, their economic livelihood is moderate as they had given up their land to FELCRA to be managed.

The early settlers from Cocos Keeling Islands worked in Mostyn Estate

Tobacco was planted in Kunak, besides Segama in Lahad Datu. That was way back in 1945, just after the war when many Cocos Islanders left their islands in search of better pasture as there were not enough food at the Cocos Islands. Now most of them have their own plot of land in a Settlement Scheme at Giram, also in Kunak.

Kg Cocos Segama Lahad Datu