Labuan: Due to its super size and weight, it strikes some semblance to a papaya. In Miri where it is more commonly spotted, the locals describe it as "Manga Mahathir".Nobody knows why it has been given the name but looking at its size and weight it must easily shadow all other mango species just like Tun Dr Mahathir did when he served 22 years as Prime Minister.In Labuan only one such tree is known to exist and the mango is distinguished from the rest by its other nickname "Elephant Trunk" due to its imperfect oblong shape, big at the head and tapering towards the end just like an elephant trunk.
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The prized mango is sold at RM20 each as it weighs 2kg in some cases. Manga Mahathir is succulent and provides a filling meal. It has a slender seed," said an oil and gas employee who never fails to book in advance when the tree begins fruiting.The other satisfaction comes from tasting a "rare" species of mango. Coconut mangoes, apples mangoes or Manila mangoes are not difficult to find but not "elephant trunk" in Labuan.
The owner of the solitary mango tree is Ms Shirley Wong who planted the seedling she got from Sarawak in her compound at Kampong Kerupang. "I recall it was some time in 2003 that I planted the tree and forgot about it, without having much hope of even the tree surviving.But to her surprise, five years later, she found her labour bearing fruit and could not believe that the "sickly" looking tree could produce huge mangoes.
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She began to value the tree and embarked on a campaign to keep the fruits pest-free by wrapping the small fruits.
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The tree produces fruits once or twice a year. At season it bears about 100 mangoes but half fall prematurely from the branches and rot. She said the branches did not have the strength to carry too much weight.
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Due to limited supply, the mangoes are usually booked and sold in advance before they are ripe.
