Muhammad Muhammad Taib

Tan Sri Muhammad bin Haji Muhammad Taib
Malaysian Minister of Rural and Regional Development
In office 18 March 2008 – 9 April 2009
Preceded by	Abdul Aziz Shamsuddin
Succeeded by	Shafie Apdal
11th Chief Minister of Selangor
In office 14 August 1986 – 14 April 1997
Preceded by	Ahmad Razali Mohd Ali
Succeeded by	Abu Hassan Omar
Personal details
Born	Hulu Selangor, Selangor
Political party	United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) part of Barisan Nasional
Spouse(s)	Asbi Rohani Asnan
Religion	Islam

Tan Sri Muhammad bin Haji Muhammad Taib (also fondly known as Mat Taib)^[1] 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.^[2] 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.^[3]

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.^[4] 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.

References

1. ^ Umno polls: Mat Taib qualifies to contest deputy presidency (updated)
2. ^ Muhammad didn't see post coming, The Star, March 19, 2008.
3. ^ Limbo Rock Dalam Pemilihan Umno Tarikh : Tuesday, October 07 @ 10:00:00 MYT
4. ^ http://malaysianunplug.blogspot.com/2007/08/raja-petra-kamarudin-takes-it-all-way.html Raja Petra Kamarudin Takes It All the Way UP-FRONT to UMNO and to "Muhammad son of Muhammad"

External links

• Official blogspot
• New ministers and deputy ministers, The Star, March 19, 2008.

Political offices
Preceded by Ahmad Razali Mohd Ali	Chief Minister of Selangor 1986 – 1997	Succeeded by Abu Hassan Haji Omar

Persondata
Name	Muhammad Muhammad Taib
Alternative names
Short description	Malaysian Minister of Rural and Regional Development
Date of birth
Place of birth	Hulu Selangor, Selangor, Malaysia
Date of death
Place of death