Former Sarawak Head of State Tun Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud passed away at the age of 87.
According to a local media, his death was confirmed by his daughter Datuk Hanifah Hajjar Taib’s private secretary, Nurr Shaffique Abdul Karim, at around 4:40 am in a private hospital in Kuala Lumpur this morning. Taib’s body is expected to arrive in Kuching at around 3pm.
The Sarawak government has declared a two-day mourning period starting today following the passing of Tun Abdul Taib Mahmud.
Having served three terms as Sarawak governor from March 1, 2014, until January 26 of this year, Taib was succeeded by Tun Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar. Notably, he also held the position of Sarawak’s longest-serving chief minister from 1981 to 2014.
Taib’s journey began humbly, born in Miri on May 21, 1936, to carpenter Mahmud Abang Yahya and Hamidah Yakub. He commenced his education at St Joseph’s Primary School in Miri before moving on to St Joseph’s Secondary School in Kuching.
Excelling in his Senior Cambridge examination, Taib pursued further studies under a Colombo Plan Scholarship at the University of Adelaide in South Australia, where he studied law.
Returning to Sarawak in 1963, Taib ventured into politics and became one of Sarawak’s first six cabinet ministers at the age of 27 under then chief minister Tan Sri Stephen Kalong Ningkan. His federal career progressed as he became Samarahan MP in 1969, holding various ministerial portfolios.
In March 1981, Taib’s pivotal moment arrived when he was sworn in as the fourth chief minister, succeeding his uncle Tun Abdul Rahmah Yakub.
His “Politics of Development” policy propelled Sarawak from an economic backwater to a thriving powerhouse, fostering development and prosperity for its people.
Taib’s tenure as chief minister until February 28, 2014, marked a period of significant progress and development for Sarawak.
Married to Polish-born Lejla Chaleck, later known as Laila Taib, Taib had four children and 15 grandchildren. Following Laila’s passing in 2009, he remarried Toh Puan Datuk Patinggi Raghad Kurdi in December 2010, expanding the family further.
Taib’s enduring contribution to Sarawak’s advancement was aptly summarised by his successor, the late Pehin Sri Adenan Satem, who hailed him as a ‘one in a million’ leader.
