Sarawak CM marries a Lebanese

Abdul Taib’s new bride is said to be a former flight attendant. — File pic

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 18 — As speculation mounts over Sarawak’s polls, state Chief Minister Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud has instead gone ahead to marry a Lebanese, believed to be a former flight attendant, in Kuching last night.

Umno’s Utusan Malaysia and political sources said the 74-year-old widower’s private wedding was officiated by Sarawak Mufti Kipli Yassin. The wedding reception is scheduled for tonight, the newspaper reported.

Asked to comment on the reported marriage after a dinner and dialogue with Chinese associations last night, the newspaper quoted the chief minister as saying:”Not yet.”

Abdul Taib’s wife Puan Sri Laila Taib died of cancer in April 2009. They had been married since 1959 and have four children — Jamilah, Mahmud Abu Bekir, Sulaiman Abdul Rahman and Hanifah apart from 15 grandchildren.

There were rumours previously that Abdul Taib had married the late Tan Sri P. Ramlee’s daughter Dian P. Ramlee but she had denied it. The Sarawak leader is a great fan of the Malaysian icon.

The long-serving chief minister is still expected to lead the Barisan Nasional (BN) in the state elections that have to be held by next July.