Analysis of information sources in references of the Wikipedia article "பிந்துலு பிரிவு" in Tamil language version.
The name "Bintulu" is, in fact, derived from the Malay "Menta Ulau" – "the place for gathering heads"; before Bintulu was bought by Charles Brooke from the Sultan of Brunei in 1853, Melanau pirates preyed on the local coast, attacking passing ships and decapitating their crews.