Muhammad Muhammad Taib
Encyclopedia
Tan Sri
Muhammad bin Haji Muhammad Taib (also fondly known as Mat Taib) is the former Rural and Regional Development Minister. He is also the United Malays National Organisation
(UMNO) information chief and former Menteri Besar
of Selangor
. He contested the post of UMNO deputy president in 2009 but lost.
Born in Kampung Sungai Manggis, Kuala Kalumpang, Hulu Selangor
, Muhammad is a graduate from Universiti Malaya and was also a former teacher in SMK Kuala Kubu Baru. The political veteran joined UMNO in 1964, and quickly rose within its ranks to be elected UMNO vice president in 2004. He was also appointed as Selangor Umno deputy state liaison committee chief in the same year.
Muhammad was also former Batang Kali
state assemblyman, winning in the general elections of 1982, 1986, 1990 and 1995. He served as Menteri Besar
of Selangor
from 1986 to 1997. However, he was forced to resign as Selangor Mentri Besar in April 1997 after he was charged in Australia
over currency irregularities amounting to RM3.8mil. However, he was later found not guilty. Muhammad Muhammad Taib was cleared by the court as he pleaded that he did not understand English and therefore did not understand the currency regulations. However, in a later development, an investigative committee found that the court had erred in its judgment.
Whilst serving as the Mentri Besar of Selangor, he eloped with Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah's daughter, Tengku Puteri Zaharia Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah to Thailand
where they reportedly got married. They have since divorced.
In 2006, he was appointed as a senator in the Dewan Negara
. This allowed him to be appointed as a minister by Prime Minister Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi
in March 2008. His stint in the Cabinet ended after a reshuffling by new Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak
in April 2009.
Malay titles
The Malay language has a complex system of titles and honorifics, which are still used extensively in Malaysia and Brunei. Singapore, whose Malay royalty was abolished by the British colonial government in 1891, has adopted civic titles for its leaders....
Muhammad bin Haji Muhammad Taib (also fondly known as Mat Taib) is the former Rural and Regional Development Minister. He is also the United Malays National Organisation
United Malays National Organisation
The United Malays National Organisation, is Malaysia's largest political party; a founding member of the National Front coalition, which has played a dominant role in Malaysian politics since independence....
(UMNO) information chief and former Menteri Besar
Menteri Besar
The Menteri Besar is the chief executive of the state government for states in Malaysia with hereditary rulers. For states without a monarch, the title Chief Minister is used...
of Selangor
Selangor
Selangor also known by its Arabic honorific, Darul Ehsan, or "Abode of Sincerity") is one of the 13 states of Malaysia. It is on the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia and is bordered by Perak to the north, Pahang to the east, Negeri Sembilan to the south and the Strait of Malacca to the west...
. He contested the post of UMNO deputy president in 2009 but lost.
Born in Kampung Sungai Manggis, Kuala Kalumpang, Hulu Selangor
Hulu Selangor
Hulu Selangor is a district in Selangor, Malaysia. It is located in the northeastern part of Selangor. It borders the state of Perak to the north, Pahang to the east, Sabak Bernam district to the east, Kuala Selangor district to its southwest and Gombak district to the south.The district's...
, Muhammad is a graduate from Universiti Malaya and was also a former teacher in SMK Kuala Kubu Baru. The political veteran joined UMNO in 1964, and quickly rose within its ranks to be elected UMNO vice president in 2004. He was also appointed as Selangor Umno deputy state liaison committee chief in the same year.
Muhammad was also former Batang Kali
Batang Kali
Batang Kali is a town in Hulu Selangor district of Selangor, Malaysia. The town is a transit point to Genting Highlands, where the famed casino and theme park is located. The new township of Bandar Baru Batang Kali is located in this area...
state assemblyman, winning in the general elections of 1982, 1986, 1990 and 1995. He served as Menteri Besar
Menteri Besar
The Menteri Besar is the chief executive of the state government for states in Malaysia with hereditary rulers. For states without a monarch, the title Chief Minister is used...
of Selangor
Selangor
Selangor also known by its Arabic honorific, Darul Ehsan, or "Abode of Sincerity") is one of the 13 states of Malaysia. It is on the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia and is bordered by Perak to the north, Pahang to the east, Negeri Sembilan to the south and the Strait of Malacca to the west...
from 1986 to 1997. However, he was forced to resign as Selangor Mentri Besar in April 1997 after he was charged in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
over currency irregularities amounting to RM3.8mil. However, he was later found not guilty. Muhammad Muhammad Taib was cleared by the court as he pleaded that he did not understand English and therefore did not understand the currency regulations. However, in a later development, an investigative committee found that the court had erred in its judgment.
Whilst serving as the Mentri Besar of Selangor, he eloped with Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah's daughter, Tengku Puteri Zaharia Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah to Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
where they reportedly got married. They have since divorced.
In 2006, he was appointed as a senator in the Dewan Negara
Dewan Negara
The Dewan Negara is the upper house of the Parliament of Malaysia. The Dewan Negara consists of 70 members, of which 26 are indirectly elected by the states, with two senators for every state in the Federation, and the other 44 being appointed by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong .The Dewan Negara...
. This allowed him to be appointed as a minister by Prime Minister Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi
Abdullah Ahmad Badawi
Tun Abdullah bin Haji Ahmad Badawi is a Malaysian politician who served as Prime Minister from 2003 to 2009. He was also the President of the United Malays National Organisation , the largest political party in Malaysia, and led the governing Barisan Nasional parliamentary coalition...
in March 2008. His stint in the Cabinet ended after a reshuffling by new Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak
Najib Tun Razak
Dato' Sri Haji Mohd Najib bin Tun Haji Abdul Razak is the sixth, and since 2009, Prime Minister of Malaysia. He previously held the post of Deputy Prime Minister from 7 January 2004 until he succeeded Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi as Prime Minister on 3 April 2009. Najib is President of the United...
in April 2009.
External links
- Official blogspot
- New ministers and deputy ministers, The Star, March 19, 2008.