KUALA LUMPUR – Sarawak governor Tun Abdul Taib Mahmud is currently recovering from an illness abroad but is still able to perform his duties, the state government said.
Deputy Minister in Sarawak Premier’s Department Datuk Sharifah Hasidah Sayeed Aman Ghazali, in a statement, said his current condition does not require an acting Head of State although he was not in the country.
She said this is because Taib is in communication with the state government and is “able to discharge his official and constitutional duties.”
“The State Government wishes to inform that the Yang di-Pertua Negeri, Tun Pehin Sri Haji Abdul Taib Mahmud was taken ill while out of the country and is currently recuperating,” she said.
“The State Government is regularly informed of his medical status and that the State Government’s further action will be guided by the State Constitution and the interests of the State.”
Rumours of Taib’s condition began swirling on social media since June, prompting the state governor’s office to lodge a police report to address the claims.
Taib’s private secretary, Junih Salleh Ahmad, had earlier stressed that any news concerning the former chief minister’s health should be regarded as fake and baseless if it did not come from the office.
Taib Mahmud held the position of chief minister for well over three decades, from 1981 to 2014, making him the longest-serving head of government in any Malaysian state.
Furthermore, he dedicated 38 years from 1970 to 2008 to serve the Kota Samarahan constituency, earning him the distinction of being the nation’s second longest-serving parliamentarian.