Muhammad Muhammad Taib Explained

Honorific-Prefix:Yang Berbahagia Tan Sri Dato' Seri
Muhammad Muhammad Taib
Native Name:Malay: {{Script|Arab|محمد محمد طيب
Office:Minister of Rural and Regional Development
Term Start:19 March 2008
Term End:9 April 2009
Primeminister:Abdullah Ahmad Badawi
Deputy:Joseph Kurup
Joseph Entulu Belaun
Successor:Shafie Apdal
Constituency:Senator
Order1:11th
Office1:Menteri Besar of Selangor
Monarch1:Salahuddin
Term Start1:14 August 1986
Term End1:14 April 1997
Predecessor1:Ahmad Razali Mohamad Ali
Successor1:Abu Hassan Omar
Constituency1:Batang Kali
Constituency Am2:Batang Kali
Assembly2:Selangor State Legislative
Majority2:4,162 (1982)
Uncontested (1986)
5,190 (1990)
Uncontested (1995)
Term Start2:22 April 1982
Term End2:29 November 1999
Predecessor2:Rosedin Yaacob (UMNOBN)
Successor2:Zainal Abidin Sakom (UMNOBN)
Birth Name:Muhammad bin Muhammad Taib
Birth Date:29 July 1946
Birth Place:Hulu Selangor, Selangor, Japanese occupation of British Malaya (now Malaysia)
Citizenship:Malaysian
Occupation:Politician, Teacher
Party:UMNOBarisan Nasional (1964–2013, 2017–present)
PASPakatan Rakyat (2013–2015)
PKRPakatan Harapan (2015–2017)
Spouse:Asbi Rohani Asnan
Tengku Puteri Zahariah binti Sultan Salehuddin Abdul Aziz Shah (divorced)
Rodzina Hayati Tajul Ariffin
Children:11
Alma Mater:University of Malaya
Website:https://mattaib.wordpress.com/

Muhammad bin Muhammad Taib (Jawi: محمد بن محمد طيب; born 29 July 1946), also fondly known as Mat Taib and also Mat Tyson,[1] is a Malaysian politician who currently is a member of United Malays National Organisation (UMNO), a major component of Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition. He was the former Menteri Besar of Selangor and the former Rural and Regional Development Minister. Muhammad was also the former UMNO vice-president.[2]

Early life and education

Born in Kampung Sungai Manggis, Kuala Kalumpang, Hulu Selangor, he was of Minangkabau descent from Rao, West Sumatera. He went to an English Primary School in Kuala Kubu Baru. Muhammad is a graduate from Universiti Malaya with a first-class degree in History and Malay studies, and was also a former teacher at SMK Kuala Kubu Baru.[3]

Political career

The political veteran joined UMNO in 1964, and quickly rose within its ranks to be appointed as Selangor Umno deputy state liaison committee chief and elected UMNO vice-president. In 1993, Muhammad and two other top party leaders then - Najib Razak and Muhyiddin Yassin - won the vice-presidency after they joined Anwar Ibrahim who won the deputy presidency uncontested; forming Vision Team (Team Wawasan) to face the UMNO internal party election.

Muhammad was former Selangor state assemblyman of Batang Kali constituency for four terms, winning in the general elections of 1982, 1986, 1990 and 1995. He served as Menteri Besar of Selangor from 1986 to 1997.[4] However, he was forced to resign as Selangor Menteri Besar in April 1997 after he was charged in Australia over currency irregularities involving more than $A1.2 million (RM2.9 million).[5]

In 2006, he was appointed as a senator in the Dewan Negara, the upper house of the Parliament of Malaysia.[6] This allowed him to be appointed as a minister by Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi in March 2008.[7] [8] He contested the post of UMNO deputy president in March 2009 but came out second to Muhyiddin Yassin.[9] His stint in the Cabinet ended after a reshuffling by new Prime Minister Najib Razak in April 2009.[10]

On 14 April 2013, Muhammad joined opposition Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS), a component party of Pakatan Rakyat (PR) then.[11] He was formally introduced by the party on 22 April 2013, just two days after the 13th General Election nomination day to avoid allegations that he took the step to be nominated in the general election. PAS is the only party that can lead Malaysia towards Islam, Muhammad said.[12] In previous statements Muhammad was a strong critic for the Pakatan Rakyat led state government of Selangor. He stated that Pakatan Rakyat Selangor, under the helm of the Menteri Besar of Selangor Khalid Ibrahim was losing grip of the state. He even stated that he believes that Saiful Bukhari Azlan, the accuser of Anwar Ibrahim sexual escapades was the real victims and no one is helping Saiful Bukhari.[13]

On 10 September 2015, Muhammad quit PAS and joined People's Justice Party (PKR) of the Pakatan Harapan (PH) opposition coalition.[14]

On 17 September 2017, Muhammad rejoined UMNO announced by Najib Razak in a special media conference after leaving it to be with the opposition for four years.[15] [16]

Controversies

In 1987, Muhammad when he was still the Menteri Besar angered the Sultan of Selangor when it was found that he had secretly married the ruler's daughter Tengku Puteri Zahariah in Sungai Golok, Thailand. The late sultan later accepted his apologies.[17] In 1997, Muhammad was forced to resign after he was charged in Australia with making false currency declarations after millions of dollars were found in his suitcase as he was leaving the country.[5] [17] However, he was found not guilty, after claiming he could not understand the declaration forms which were in English.[18] Somehow, in a later development, an investigative committee found that the court had erred in its judgment.[19]

The prosecution at Brisbane Federal Court on 19 August 1997 as for his failure to declare bringing over A$5,000. He and his wife stay a few weeks in Brisbane and wishing to build a luxury house on a 4,500 hectare land at Gold Coast, in Queensland. After that he wish to fly to New Zealand. The land at Sovereign Island was registered under his wife's name Asbi Rohani Binti Asnan which was bought a year earlier for $3 million.[20] [21] [22] Muhammad Taib was charged with failure to declare his assets.[23]

Personal life

Muhammad married his first wife, Asbi Rohani Asnan, during his early teaching days in Tanjung Malim and they have four daughters and one son together.[24] He had also married the daughter of the late Sultan of Selangor, Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah Alhaj ibni Almarhum Sultan Hisamuddin Alam Shah Tengku Puteri Zahariah binti Sultan Salehuddin Abdul Aziz Shah who also known as Kuyah, but later divorced. He was given the style Yang Amat Mulia during this time and Yang Berhormat Mulia later. The couple had one son but had later divorced.[25] He also married Dr Rodzina Hayati Tajul Ariffin, having 4 sons and a daughter together.[26]

Election results

Year!
ConstituencyCandidateVotesPctOpponent(s)VotesPctBallots castMajorityTurnout
1982N09 Batang Kali (UMNO)6,93967.90%Hong Chin Toh (DAP)2,77727.17%10,2204,16279.00%
1986 (UMNO)None None
1990 (UMNO)8,57568.70%Sinniah Periannan (DAP)3,38527.12%12,4825,19075.82%
1995 (UMNO)None None

Honours

Honours of Malaysia

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2008/11/9/nation/20081109134154&sec=nation Umno polls: Mat Taib qualifies to contest deputy presidency (updated)
  2. News: Mat Taib: DAP should patch up with Hadi. Suresh Kashuerin. . June 12, 2015 .
  3. News: Biodata . Muhammad Muhammad Taib's Blog . Mat Taib berbicara… . 20 September 2017.
  4. Web site: Sejarah Menteri Besar : MANTAN DATO' MENTERI BESAR SELANGOR. 2008 . Laman Web Rasmi Kerajaan Negeri Selangor . ms . 1 January 2010 . Selangor . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20110604140503/http://www.selangor.gov.my/main.php?Content=vertsectiondetails&VsItemID=172&VertSectionID=5&CurLocation=44&Page=1 . 4 June 2011 . dmy .
  5. News: Excess baggage . 17 April 1997 . . 16 May 2017.
  6. News: Senator post for Mat Taib . The Star . 15 February 2006 . 16 May 2017.
  7. News: Muhammad didn't see post coming . The Star . 19 March 2008 . 16 May 2017.
  8. News: New ministers and deputy ministers . The Star . 19 March 2008 . 16 May 2017.
  9. News: Muhyiddin beats Muhammad Taib, elected Umno deputy president . 27 March 2009 . BTUWEEKLY . 16 May 2017.
  10. News: Eight ministers dropped . . Jacqueline Ann Surin . 9 April 2009 . The Nut Graph . 20 September 2017.
  11. News: Ex-Umno veep Mat Taib joins PAS . Hafiz Yatim . 15 April 2013 . . 16 May 2017.
  12. News: Only PAS can lead M'sia to Islam, declares Mat Taib . Hazlan Zakaria . 22 April 2013 . . 16 May 2017.
  13. ELIZABETH LOOI. "GE13: PAS banking on spent force", The Star, 19 Julai 2008. Retrieved on 25 April 2013.
  14. News: Mat Taib, Kamaruddin Jaffar tinggal PAS, masuk PKR . 11 Sep 2015 . . ms. 16 May 2017.
  15. News: Muhd Taib rejoins Umno . 17 September 2017 . The Malaysian Insight . 20 September 2017.
  16. News: Mat Taib rejoins Umno . The Star . 17 September 2017 . 20 September 2017.
  17. News: Selangor politician Muhammad Taib back in Umno fold. Nadirah H. Rodzi. 18 September 2017. The Straits Times. 20 September 2017.
  18. News: Muhammad Taib Acquitted Of Currency Charges. 30 May 1998 . Utusan Malaysia. 20 September 2017.
  19. http://www.tranungkite.net/v7/modules.php?name=News&file=print&sid=16976 Limbo Rock Dalam Pemilihan Umno Tarikh : Tuesday, October 07 @ 10:00:00 MYT
  20. http://www.limkitsiang.com/archive/1997/June97/sg512.htm Speech (Part II) - DAP Malacca Anniversary Dinner
  21. http://sahathevan.blogspot.com/2008/02/umno-candidate-mike-tyson-was-found.html UMNO candidate Mike Tyson was found guilty on appeal, even if acquitted
  22. http://www.malaysiakini.com/letters/80293 Will Muhd Muhd Taib declare Aussie properties?
  23. News: Muhammad Taib To Be Charged With Failure To Declare Assets . 9 June 1998 . Utusan Malaysia. 20 September 2017.
  24. News: Muhammad-profil :MUHAMMAD SENASIB DENGAN MIKE TYSON . . ms . 12 April 1997 . Library Perdana . 20 September 2017.
  25. News: Selamat tinggal ayahandaku . ms . 25 November 2001 . . 20 September 2017.
  26. News: Salah seorang isteri bekas MB Selangor hadapi tuntutan hina mahkamah . . ms . 28 September 2000 . Tranung Kite . 20 September 2017.
  27. Web site: SEMAKAN PENERIMA DARJAH KEBESARAN, BINTANG DAN PINGAT. Prime Minister's Department (Malaysia). 28 December 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20180929181530/http://www.istiadat.gov.my/index.php/component/semakanlantikanskp/. 29 September 2018. dead.