Shy Taib to Admit to Bride on Jan 15th
Sunday, January 9th, 2011 GMT
Not the Grandad, but the Groom - prepare for something a little more flattering with the official photos next week
Why should the marriage of a Head of State be treated as a whispered secret? We can now confirm that at last there will be an official recognition of the fact the Abdul Taib Mahmud has taken a new wife with an event in Kuching on Saturday 15th of this month.
Presumably, it will be on this occasion that the Chief Minister will finally announce the name, true age and identity of the lucky lady? Meanwhile, Sarawak Report feels obliged to issue previously unseen pictures that can prove to a bewildered public that the actual wedding has indeed already taken place and that Taib is indeed a married man once more.
Not the grandad but the groom
The couple, seen here in our exclusive picture, are both dressed in white, having just been married. We can confirm that the gentleman, who is somewhat dwarfed by his much younger new wife, is the groom and not an elderly relative.
It may seem ridiculous that the proven marital status of Sarawak’s Chief Minister has still failed to be formally announced. However perhaps the couple were in a hurry? Indeed, Taib’s failure so far to officially present and acknowledge his wife in the normal fashion has made it inevitable that people have been left speculating over the speed and secrecy of this event. Is a fifth potential heir to arrive for the lucky family sooner rather than later? Or was the lightning marriage designed to quash unhealthy rumours (or worse, evidence) of an existing relationship?
Poor PR?
Taib acts the paternal figure at another wedding of a lady older than his new wife today - the daugher of Jabu his deputy
Indeed, there have been numerous marital scandals associated with the Mahmud family, which Taib has fought hard to quash and there would be no desire to add to any of them on the brink of the election. So why such a grave mishandling of PR by Taib and BN by this displaying of all the hallmarks of an emergency wedding?
Worse, it has been followed by a lengthy period of silence with no official confirmation of the situation, giving the appearance that the actors in the affair have been working behind the scenes on how to best present the matter. A wedding should be treated as a public celebration and not a secret scandal, so why has the Chief Minister not managed the affair more skillfully to avoid such an unfortunate style of presentation?
In a country with a free press Taib would not have had a restful New Year’s break, after such a slack management of his PR. Yet, in fact it is understood that he and his young new wife were able to fly off on their holidays and enjoy another marriage ceremony nearer her home, in Syria in the Middle East.
How many years younger than Jabu's daughter is Taib's new bride? Maybe we will find out next weekend?