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Abdul Taib Mahmud | |
|---|---|
| عبدالطيب محمود | |
.jpg) Abdul Taib in 2022 | |
| 7th Yang di-Pertua Negeri of Sarawak | |
| In office 1 March 2014 – 26 January 2024 | |
| Premier | Abang Johari Openg |
| Chief Minister | See list
|
| Preceded by | Abang Muhammad Salahuddin |
| Succeeded by | Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar |
| 4th Chief Minister of Sarawak | |
| In office 26 March 1981 – 28 February 2014 | |
| Governor | |
| Deputy | See list
|
| Preceded by | Abdul Rahman Ya'kub |
| Succeeded by | Adenan Satem |
| 2nd and 4th President of Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu | |
| In office 26 March 1981 – 28 February 2014 | |
| BN chairman | |
| Preceded by | Abdul Rahman Ya'kub |
| Succeeded by | Adenan Satem |
| In office October 1974 – 1976 | |
| Preceded by | Jugah Anak Barieng |
| Succeeded by | Abdul Rahman Ya'kub |
| Member of the Malaysian Parliament for Kota Samarahan | |
| In office 1970 – 13 February 2008 | |
| Succeeded by | Sulaiman Abdul Rahman Taib |
| Member of the Sarawak State Legislative Assembly for Balingian | |
| In office 2001 – 28 February 2014 | |
| Preceded by | Abdul Ajis Abdul Majeed |
| Succeeded by | Yussibnosh Balo |
| Majority | 5,154 (2011) |
| Member of the Sarawak State Legislative Assembly for Asajaya | |
| In office 1987–2001 | |
| Preceded by | New constituency |
| Succeeded by | Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah |
| Member of the Sarawak State Legislative Assembly for Sebandi | |
| In office 1981–1987 | |
| Succeeded by | Constituency abolished |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Abdul Taib bin Mahmud 21 May 1936 Miri, Raj of Sarawak (now Sarawak, Malaysia) |
| Died | 21 February 2024 (aged 87) Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia |
| Political party | Barisan Rakayat Jati Sarawak (1963–1968) Parti Bumiputera Sarawak (1968–1973) Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (1973–2014) |
| Spouses | |
| Children | 4 (including Sulaiman and Hanifah) |
| Residence(s) | Demak Jaya, Jalan Bako, Kuching, Sarawak |
| Alma mater | University of Adelaide (LLB) |
| Occupation |
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| Signature |  |
Abdul Taib bin Mahmud (Jawi: عبدالطيب بن محمود; 21 May 1936 – 21 February 2024) was a Malaysian politician who served as the seventh Yang di-Pertua Negeri of Sarawak from 2014 to 2024 and the fourth Chief Minister of Sarawak from 1981 to 2014.[2] He is referred to as the Father of Modern Sarawak (Bapa Pemodenan Sarawak).[3][4]
Born into a noble Melanau-Malay family, Taib embarked on his academic journey, earning his first degree in law from the University of Adelaide in 1960.[5] There, he met Laila (née Lejla Chaleck), a Polish woman of Lipka Tatar descent who embraced the Muslim faith.[6] They married the previous year and had four children, including Sulaiman and Hanifah. Upon graduation, they returned to Sarawak, and Taib began his career as a prosecutor at the Crown Council Law Office. His foray into politics began in 1963 when he was appointed the state's Minister of Communications and Public Works by Chief Minister Stephen Kalong Ningkan.[7] His political works deepened in 1964 when he assumed the role of vice chairman of Barisan Rakyat Jati Sarawak (BERJASA) party.[7] He then served as state Minister of Development and Forestry under Tawi Sli in 1967.[7] Taib then transitioned to federal politics, securing a seat as a Member of Parliament (MP) for Kota Samarahan in 1970. Over the course of his parliamentary career spanning from 1968 to 1981, Taib held multiple ministerial portfolios under Prime Ministers Tunku Abdul Rahman until Mahathir Mohamad.
In 1981, Taib returned to Sarawak and became its chief minister, succeeding his uncle Abdul Rahman Ya'kub. Throughout his leadership, his administration was credited with significantly reducing the state's poverty rate from 70 percent to single-digit figures. He was informally known as Pak Uban, which translates to 'White-haired Uncle.' Among Chinese-speaking communities, he was referred to as Pek Moh, meaning 'white hair.'[8][9] Another informal appellation for him, stemming from the British Brooke family's rule over Sarawak as White Rajahs in the 19th and early 20th centuries, was the 'last white rajah' or 'white-haired rajah.'[10]
In 2008, after nearly four decades in Parliament, Taib relinquished his role as an MP, making him the second longest-serving parliamentarian in Malaysia.[11] The following year, Laila died following a prolonged battle with heart cancer. Taib then married a Syrian-born woman, Ragad Waleed Alkurdi. Subsequently, in 2014, he stepped down as Chief Minister and was succeeded by Adenan Satem.[12] His tenure, spanning an unprecedented 33 years, earned him the distinction of being the longest-serving head of government in a Malaysian state. Taib was then appointed the seventh Yang di-Pertua Negeri of Sarawak, from 2014 until 2024. Shortly afterwards, he died just over 3 weeks after leaving office.
- ^ Tawie, Sulok (21 March 2016). "After 43 years, Sarawak deputy CM Alfred Jabu to quit politics". Malay Mail. Archived from the original on 6 April 2016. Retrieved 26 April 2016.
- ^ "Taib to vacate Balingian seat on February 28". The Malay Mail. 26 February 2014. Archived from the original on 23 February 2024. Retrieved 23 February 2024.
- ^ Aubrey, Samuel (17 July 2023). "Taib — Father of modern Sarawak". The Borneo Post. Archived from the original on 17 July 2023. Retrieved 7 March 2024.
- ^ "Tun Abdul Taib Mahmud — the Father of Modern Sarawak". Bernama. The Edge (Malaysia). 21 February 2024. Archived from the original on 23 February 2024. Retrieved 23 February 2024.
- ^ "Abdul Taib Mahmud: Remembering Sarawak's greatest statesman". The Borneo Post. 21 February 2024. Retrieved 23 February 2024.
- ^ "A dedication to the memory of Datuk Patinggi Dr Hajah Laila Taib". The Borneo Post. 8 May 2022. Retrieved 23 February 2024.
- ^ a b c "Previous Chief Ministers of Sarawak". The Borneo Post. 12 February 2014. Retrieved 23 February 2024.
- ^ Chong, Debra (19 April 2011). "In Sarawak, Chinese anger still strong against Pek Moh". The Malaysian Insider. Archived from the original on 22 November 2011. Retrieved 20 April 2011.
- ^ Ready to ride out the storm The Star (Malaysia) Accessed on 10 December 2011
- ^ Huat, W.C. (3 April 2009). "The Last Rajah's Battlefield". The Nut Graph. Archived from the original on 28 May 2023. Retrieved 5 July 2010.
- ^ New ministry, seven new faces in Sarawak cabinet reshuffle Archived 19 April 2023 at the Wayback Machine, Borneo Post. Accessed on 10 December 2011
- ^ "Taib to resign on February 28, Adenan Satem to take over as Sarawak chief minister". The Malaysian Insider. 12 February 2014. Archived from the original on 21 February 2014. Retrieved 13 February 2014.