KUALA LUMPUR – The C-130 Hercules military plane bearing the body of former Sarawak governor Tun Abdul Taib Mahmud is expected to arrive at Kuching International Airport at 4.30pm today.
Selangor ruler Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah was at the air base to receive the entourage coming from the National Mosque here. Later, the plane took off from the Subang Air Base at 1.58pm.
Also there were Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof, Sarawak Governor Tun Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar and other cabinet members.
The casket was carried into the plane by nine army and police personnel.
The Sarawak state government has declared a two-day mourning period starting today, where flags across Sarawak will be flown at half-mast and the public will be able to pay their respects tomorrow at the state assembly building in Kuching.
Prior to his passing at 4.40am today, Taib’s condition had been the subject of speculation and drama over the last few months, with police reports being made against his wife Raghad accusing her of absconding her husband from Sarawak.
Just yesterday, Raghad said Taib was recuperating in the hospital after a photo of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim visiting an individual in the hospital, claimed to be Taib, went viral.
Raghad is also stuck in a legal battle with her stepsons, Datuk Seri Sulaiman Abdul Rahman Taib and Datuk Seri Mahmud Abu Bekir Taib, over the transfer of Cahya Mata Sarawak Bhd shares to her.
Both of Taib’s sons, Sulaiman and Mahmud, were also present at the National Mosque for the funeral proceedings.
The duo from Taib’s first marriage with Laila Taib, dressed in white, appeared solemn as they greeted visitors.
At the mosque’s Dewan Syarahan Utama, where Taib lies in state, the two sons sat conspicuously away from their stepmother Raghad, whom they are suing over the transfer of Cahya Mata Sarawak Bhd shares.
The sons are on one side, closer to the area where they are speaking with visitors, while Raghad is sitting on the other side of the hall, away from the crowds. – February 21, 2024