The former Yang di-Pertua Negeri Sarawak, Tun Abdul Taib Mahmud died at around 4.28 this morning at a private hospital in Kuala Lumpur.
The sad news of Abdul Taib's passing to rahmatullah was confirmed by the Deputy Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Fadilah Yusof to Astro AWANI just now.
"Now the body will be bathed and, God willing, it will be taken to the National Mosque for the final burial (Peninsula level) before the body is taken to the airport to be flown to Kuching, Sarawak," said Fadilah.
The late Abdul Taib, who turned 87 on May 21, will be brought back to Kuching today and will be brought to the Sarawak State Legislative Assembly for his last respects.
Allayarham's remains will be prayed at the Demak Mosque before being buried next to the grave of his first wife, Toh Puan Laila Taib at their private residence in Demak Jaya.
Before this, Abdul Taib was the only political figure from the founding era of Malaysia who was still alive and had been in the Sarawak Cabinet which was established on 22 July 1963.
His daughter Datuk Hanifah Hajjar Taib’s private secretary Nurr Shaffique Abdul Karim confirmed that the former governor breathed his last at a private hospital in Kuala Lumpur at around 4.40am this morning.
