Former Sarawak Yang di-Pertua Negeri Tun Abdul Taib Mahmud has passed away at the age of 87 at a private hospital in Kuala Lumpur. Sarawak Premier Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg has declared two days of mourning for the state in honor of Taib’s passing. The state flag will be flown at half-mast and any entertainment events will be postponed.
Abang Johari also announced that mosques and houses of worship are encouraged to hold prayers to remember Taib. He further stated that Taib will be laid to rest with full state honors in recognition of his service to Sarawak. His remains arrived in Kuching yesterday and a state funeral will be held at the Sarawak Legislative Assembly complex today.
The funeral was attended by his wife and children, and his remains will be buried in the family cemetery at Demak Jaya. Abang Johari paid tribute to Taib as an “institution” who contributed immensely to Sarawak’s development. He praised Taib for laying the foundation for Sarawak to become a modern state and for being an adviser to successive chief ministers.
Abang Johari, who considered Taib as his mentor since entering politics in 1981, said that Taib always emphasized the importance of maintaining Sarawak’s harmony, being humble, and serving the people to improve their lives. He highlighted Taib’s fondness for P. Ramlee movies due to their underlying philosophy of equality and fair treatment for all. Tengku Mahkota Pahang Tengku Hassanal Ibrahim Alam Shah Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah, Perlis Regent Raja Muda Tuanku Syed Faizuddin Putra Jamalullail, and Tengku Mahkota Kelantan Tengku Muhammad Fakhry Petra Sultan Ismail Petra were among the dignitaries who came to pay their last respects to Taib in Kuala Lumpur. They were joined by other VIPs, including Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof and Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Razarudin Husain.
The funeral prayers were led by the Grand Imam of Masjid Negara, Ehsan Mohd Hosni. Following this, Taib’s remains were flown to Kuching through an RMAF C-130 Hercules aircraft.
