Who Is Laila Taib? Wiki, Age, Husband, Kids, Family & Facts About Abdul Taib Mahmud’s Ex-Wife
Laila Taib was a Polish Muslim woman who married Abdul Taib Mahmud, one of the most influential and controversial politicians in Malaysia. She was his first wife and the mother of his four children, who are also involved in politics and business. She passed away in 2009 after a battle with cancer, leaving behind a legacy of charity and compassion.
Laila Taib Wiki/Bio
| Name | Laila Taib |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Lejla Chaleck |
| Birth date | March 1, 1941 |
| Birth place | Poland |
| Death date | April 29, 2009 |
| Death place | Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia |
| Death cause | Heart cancer |
| Burial place | Demak Jaya cemetery, Kuching |
| Spouse | Abdul Taib Mahmud (m. 1959-2009) |
| Children | Sulaiman Abdul Rahman Taib, Mahmud Abu Bekir Taib, Hanifah Hajar Taib, Jamilah Taib Murray |
| Ethnicity | Lipka Tatar |
| Nationality | Malaysian |
| Religion | Islam |
| Occupation | Social worker, philanthropist |
| Awards | Datuk Amar Bintang Kenyalang (D.A.), Datuk Patinggi Bintang Kenyalang (D.P.) |
| Links | Wikipedia- @Abdul_Taib_Mahmud Homepage- Newsunzip |
Biography
Laila Taib was born as Lejla Chaleck on March 1, 1941 (age: 68 years, when died), in Poland. She came from a family of Lipka Tatars, a minority group of Muslims who settled in Poland and Lithuania centuries ago. She attended Adelaide High School in Australia in 1953, where she met Abdul Taib Mahmud, who was studying law at the University of Adelaide. They fell in love and got married on January 13, 1959, in Adelaide. She converted to Islam and changed her name to Laila.
Height, Weight
- Height: 5’6″
- Weight: 62 kg
Family and Children
Laila and Abdul Taib Mahmud moved to Sarawak in 1961, where he started his political career. They had four children: Sulaiman Abdul Rahman Taib, Mahmud Abu Bekir Taib, Hanifah Hajar Taib, and Jamilah Taib Murray. All of them are prominent figures in Sarawak and beyond.
- Sulaiman Abdul Rahman Taib is the deputy president of Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB), the dominant party in Sarawak. He is also the chairman of Cahya Mata Sarawak (CMS), a conglomerate with interests in construction, property, cement, and energy. He is married to Anisa, a Lebanese-British woman, and has three children.
- Mahmud Abu Bekir Taib is the deputy chairman of CMS and the chairman of Sarawak Energy, the state-owned power utility. He is also the owner of several hotels and resorts in Malaysia and abroad. He was married to Shahnaz Abdul Majid, a former model and actress, but they divorced in 2011 after a bitter legal battle. He has one son, Raden Murya Abdul Taib Mahmud.
- Hanifah Hajar Taib is the president of PBB Women’s Wing and the MP for Mukah. She is also the chairperson of Yayasan Sarawak, a foundation that provides scholarships and loans to Sarawakian students. She is married to Datuk Syed Ahmad Alwee Alsree, a businessman, and has four children.
- Jamilah Taib Murray is the founder and president of Sakto Corporation, a real estate company based in Ottawa, Canada. She is also the chairperson of the Laila Taib Cancer Trust Fund, a charity that helps cancer patients in Sarawak. She is married to Sean Murray, a Canadian lawyer, and has four children.
Contributions and Achievements
Laila was known for her charitable and social work in Sarawak. She was the founder and president of the Welfare Association of Wives of Ministers and Assistant Ministers of Sarawak (Sabati) since 1982 and the patron of the Sarawak Orphans Welfare Association (Peryatim) since 1994. She was also involved in the Malaysian Islamic Welfare Organization (Perkim) as the vice-president and the national women’s chief. She also initiated the establishment of the Laila Taib Cancer Trust Fund, which provides financial assistance to cancer patients in Sarawak.
Laila received several awards and recognition for her contributions. She was conferred the Order of the Star of Hornbill Sarawak (D.A.) – Datuk Amar in 1988 and the Order of the Star of Hornbill Sarawak (D.P.) – Datuk Patinggi in 2009 (posthumously) by the Yang di-Pertua Negeri of Sarawak. She was also awarded the Pingat Perkhidmatan Bakti (PPB) by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong of Malaysia in 1990.
Probe launched into alleged forced discharge of ex-Sarawak governor by wife
Police are looking into a report that Toh Puan Raghad Kurdi Taib, the Syrian wife of former Sarawak governor Tun Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud, had taken him out of a private hospital in Kuching without the consent of his doctor on Saturday night. The 87-year-old Taib, who was also the state’s longest-serving chief minister, was reportedly in the intensive care unit when he was removed by a group of people, including bodyguards and a butler, and driven away in a luxury vehicle.
Sarawak police commissioner Datuk Mancha Ata confirmed that the police had received a report on the matter and were investigating it under Section 336 of the Penal Code, which deals with causing hurt by an act which endangers life or the personal safety of others. The offence carries a maximum penalty of three months’ imprisonment, a fine of 500 ringgit (U$105), or both.
Mancha also urged the public not to share or speculate on the issue, as it could lead to legal action against those spreading false or defamatory information. He warned that action could be taken under Section 500 of the Penal Code for printing or engraving matter known to be defamatory and Section 233 of the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 for using network facilities to transmit communication deemed to be offensive or could cause annoyance to another person.
Raghad, who married Taib in 2010, a year after his first wife Laila died of cancer, has denied the allegations that she had forcibly taken her husband from the hospital against his doctor’s advice. She posted a video on Instagram on Monday, saying “That’s not true” and showing a nursing note dated February 3, the night of the alleged incident, as “the proof” to support her claim.
Taib’s political opponents and rights activists have accused him of plundering Sarawak’s natural resources to enrich himself and his family, allegedly amassing billions of dollars in wealth and assets while feeding a political elite which scooped up major infrastructure projects and state-sanctioned investments he approved over his tenure. He was Sarawak’s chief minister from 1981 to 2014, when he became the state’s governor. He retired from the post in 2019.
Taib’s children from his first marriage have also sued Raghad over the transfer of shares owned by their father to her name in a public listed conglomerate. The case is still pending in court.
Death and Legacy
Laila Taib died on April 29, 2009, at the age of 68, at her home in Demak Jaya, Kuching, due to heart cancer. She was buried at the Demak Jaya Cemetery the following day. Her funeral was attended by thousands of people, including dignitaries, politicians, and royalty. Her husband, Abdul Taib Mahmud, remarried in 2010 to Raghad Kurdi Taib, a Syrian woman.
Laila is remembered as a loving wife, mother, and grandmother, as well as a generous and compassionate person. She left behind a legacy of charity and kindness that continues to inspire and benefit many people in Sarawak and beyond. She also has a college named after her, the Kolej Laila Taib, which offers financial aid and technical programmes to Sarawakian students.
Net Worth
| Year | Net Worth |
|---|---|
| 2009 | $300,000 |
| 2008 | $320,000 |
Laila Taib was a remarkable woman who lived a life of service and devotion. She was the ex-wife of Abdul Taib Mahmud, the former chief minister and current governor of Sarawak, and the mother of his four children, who are also influential and successful. She was a Polish Muslim of Lipka Tatar origin who married him in Australia and moved to Sarawak with him. She was involved in various charitable and social causes, especially for the welfare of orphans and cancer patients. She died in 2009 after a battle with cancer, leaving behind a legacy of charity and compassion. She was a woman of grace and dignity, who touched the lives of many people.
