Tun Abdul Taib Mahmud, the former chief minister of Sarawak, passed away Sunday, February 21, at the age of 87.
Drama around his family and his money had spread (and continues to spread) like wildfire in the weeks before his death.
After Taib's death, the Switzerland-based NGO Bruno Manser Fonds (BMF) is now requesting that the Malaysian government freeze all of his assets and relaunch inquiries into his enormous riches.
According to World of Buzz, the BMF Executive Director Lukas Straumann stated a reopening of the investigation is necessary to determine Taib's wealth's source.
Taib's assets, including his personal bank accounts, ought to be blocked right away to stop family members from stealing the money.
According to a 2021 legal opinion from BMF, Taib violated the Sarawak Constitution by serving as a director and shareholder of the Malaysian business Ramah Jelita.
"The business engaged in land transactions in Sarawak. In addition, Taib has been charged with corruption and misuse of public office for allegedly allowing his closest family members to profit from the privatisation of Cahya Mata Sarawak (CMS), according to information obtained by BFM News.
He went on to say that throughout Taib's tenure as Sarawak's chief minister, CMS profited from governmental contracts valued at more than RM4.9 billion.
The NGO and other international organisations have repeatedly pushed the Malaysian government to freeze Taib's assets in order to conduct investigations into his fortune; many have been doing so for years.
Had Abdul Taib Mahmud (May 21, 1936 – Feb 21, 2024) been able to hold the position of governor of Sarawak for the entire term rather than relinquishing it to Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar last month, he would have completed ten years in office next week.
Still, there's no denying that the veteran politician's lengthy career has left its mark in the Land of the Hornbills.
Taib, the oldest of ten siblings and a Miri native, had intended to study medicine, but his powerful uncle Abdul Rahman Ya'kub—who would go on to become chief minister—persuaded him to switch to law school, as shared by Malaysia Kini.
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