Veteran Malaysian politician Abdul Taib Mahmud passed away at the age of 87. He was considered one of Malaysia’s most prominent political leaders since its independence in 1957.
Abdul Tayeb served as head of the Sarawak state government for 33 years, before assuming the position of governor of the state. Malaysian officials praised his role in promoting political stability and coexistence between different races and religions in the most ethnically and religiously diverse state in the country. Suspicions of corruption surrounds the wealth of the most ruling politician in Malaysia, and there are those who estimate it at tens of billions of dollars.