Dewan Negara president Mutang Tagal passed away

Dewan Negara president Datuk Mutang Tagal, 69, passed away at 11:46 a.m. today at Kuala Lumpur’s National Heart Institute (IJN), said the Dewan Negara president’s office.

“Further information on his burial will be announced later,” the office said in a statement, reported FMT.

Mutang was receiving treatment at IJN after falling ill during a working trip to Azerbaijan.

Mutang is a member of Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu

He represented Bukit Mas as a Member of Parliament for two terms from 1982 to 1990.

He became Dewan Negara president on February 19, marking the first time an indigenous Sarawakian held the position, succeeding Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar.

He is a trained lawyer, hailing from the Lun Bawang tribe.

He was the sibling of the late Judson Sakai Tagal, a former Sarawak assistant minister of communications and the inaugural Ba Kelalan assemblyman.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim visited Mutang yesterday at IJN where he was receiving treatment.