Taib (centre) signing the Oath of Office while witnessed by Abang Iskandar (right) and Abang Johari (left). – Penerangan Photo
KUCHING (March 1): Tun Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud has been sworn in as Yang di-Pertua Negeri for another two years effective today.
This marks his third term as the Head of State.
Taib took the oath of office as the Yang di-Pertua Negeri in a swearing-in ceremony held at the Lapau Hall of the State Legislative Assembly (DUN) Complex here today.
The ceremony commenced with Premier of Sarawak Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg reading the Instrument of Appointment of the Yang di-Pertua Negeri.
Taib then took the oath of appointment and signed the Oath of Office in the presence of Sabah Sarawak Chief Justice Tan Sri Dato Abang Iskandar Abang Hashim.
He also signed the Declaration Letter which was witnessed by Abang Johari.
Earlier, the Head of State received the guard of honour from the 10th Battalion of the Sarawak General Operations Force (PGA) at the DUN compound.
Also present at the ceremony were Taib’s wife Toh Puan Datuk Patinggi Raghad Kurdi Taib, Abang Johari’s wife Puan Sri Datuk Amar Juma’ani Tuanku Bujang, Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas, Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Minister Dato Sri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah, State Secretary Datuk Amar Jaul Samion, state cabinet ministers, deputy ministers and other dignitaries.
Taib received his Instrument of Appointment from Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah at the Dewan Sri Setia Istana Negara in Kuala Lumpur yesterday.
He was first appointed as the Head of State on March 1, 2014 after which he took his oath-of-office for the second term on March 1, 2018.
Taib, who turns 86 on May 21, is Sarawak’s seventh Head of State.
He succeeded the post from Tun Datuk Patinggi Abang Muhammad Salahuddin Abang Barieng on March 1, 2014.
He had stepped down as the state’s fourth Chief Minister a day earlier, having held the post for 33 years since March 26, 1981.