PETALING JAYA: Sarawak Yang di-Pertua Negeri Tun Abdul Taib Mahmud has appeared in public for the first time in over two months following medical treatment overseas.
Accompanied by his wife Toh Puan Raghad Kurdi Taib, Abdul Taib attended the Maulidur Rasul celebrations at Padang Merdeka in Kuching, Sarawak on Thursday (Sept 28).
The arrival of the seventh head of state, around 8.30am, was met with a warm welcome from Sarawak Premier Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg and other state government members.
Earlier in June, Abdul Taib was reported to be receiving medical treatment abroad for an undisclosed condition.
His prolonged absence led to constant speculation online about his health, which both the state government and Astana consistently denied for the past two months.
The rumors were finally put to rest when Abdul Taib was reported to have returned to the state on September 16, as reported by Sinar Harian.
Despite heavy rain on Friday, his first public event in over two months saw 10,991 participants from 248 contingents representing various government agencies, non-government organizations (NGOs), and schools across the state.
In his keynote address, Abang Johari mentioned that the Sarawak royal administration has adopted the moral virtues of Prophet Muhammad SAW as an example to bring prosperity to the diverse community in Sarawak.
“The Kingdom of Sarawak will always ensure justice is upheld among the people regardless of race and religion, in order to develop a safe and prosperous country.
“This is in line with the practice of religious tolerance demonstrated by Prophet Muhammad when he agreed to sign an agreement with the monks at the St Catherine’s monastery at the foot of Mount Sinai in 627 AD.
“In fact, this agreement was recorded in world history as a treaty document that reflects the nobility of his character in relations between religions,” he said.
Credit: The Star : News Feed
