 The name of <unk> was derived from the local native language " <unk> <unk> " ( picking heads ) . <unk> was a small fishing village when <unk> James Brooke acquired it in 1861 . Brooke later built a fort there in 1862 . In 1867 , the first General Council meeting ( now <unk> State Legislative Assembly ) was convened in <unk> . It is the earliest state legislature system in Malaysia . The construction of the earliest airstrip in <unk> began in 1934 but was halted in 1938 due to financial difficulties . During World War II , the airstrip was heavily bombed by Allied forces . The British later rebuilt the airstrip , and it became fully operational in 1955 . The old airport was replaced by a new airport in 2002 . <unk> remained a fishing village until 1969 when oil and gas reserves were discovered off the coast . Since then , <unk> has become the centre of energy intensive industries such as a Malaysia <unk> plant , a Shell Middle <unk> Synthesis plant , and a <unk> combined cycle power plant . The economy has also expanded into oil palm and forest plantations , palm oil processing , wood @-@ waste processing , and cement manufacturing . The port of <unk> is the busiest in <unk> . The town is also a gateway to <unk> Industrial Park . 
