The bill was signed into law – Aimeliik State Public Law (ASPL) No. 8-25 – by then governor, Demei Obak. Pursuant to the law, a Task Force was created; and it established and announced guidelines of a contest for the citizens of the state to submit entries for the state’s anthem, state flower, and state fish.
The task force published a 30-day announcement for the contest; however, as of the deadline of the duration of the announcement, a single entry for the state’s fish was received. No other entries were submitted.Members of the task force, after reviewing the single entry, wrote ASL Speaker, Teruo Rengulbai, on November 29, 2006 informing him that the one entry – submitted by Kerngokl Ngiralmau – has met all the set guidelines; and recommended it a winner.Ngiralmau had entered the contest and named the Lion Fish – “Chesechid” – as Aimeliik State Fish.She had reasoned in her entry that the Lion Fish best represents Aimeliik as such: the fish is beautiful to look at and looks as if it wears a radiant grass-skirt that is symbolic of Aimeliik (the daughter of the mythical Milad – a figure in the legends of the origins of Palau); the fish has poisonous stings that deter predation, which correlates with Aimeliik’s history – “bechachas a orengelel” – of having not once been conquered; and the fish, though it abounds in the waters of the state, is not hunted for consumption, and its beauty would always signify the state.The members of the ASL, having read Ngiralmau’s rational for her entry, abided by the task force’s recommendations and passed a resolution on March 1st 2007 to officially recognize Ngiralmau as the winner of the state fish naming contest and to legitimately designate the Lion Fish as the official Aimeliik State Fish.According to Speaker Rengulbai, lack of states fund had prevented the ASL from properly rewarding Ngiralmau with her prize – as set in the task force’s 2006 contest announcement – of $250.00“We have been fortunate that this year we have found funding to award Ngiralmau her prize,” Rengulbai said. “We are also very grateful that she had patiently waited without complaining.”Rengulbai and Yolsau Madraisau, a member of the task force, presented Ngiralmau with her prize last Thursday at her residence in Ngerbeched.Ngiralmau said that she is very grateful to have had the opportunity to participate in the contest. Further, she said that she is extremely pleased with the diligence and effort of the ASL members and the members of the task force.
