“On behalf of the administration of the Madani government, I extend our condolences to the family of the late Tun (Taib) and the people of Sarawak.

“We, and especially the people of Sarawak, have truly lost a respected statesman,” he said in a post on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.

Anwar also said Taib’s service and dedication to the country and the state of Sarawak would always be remembered.

Meanwhile, Sarawak Premier Abang Johari Openg pledged to continue Taib’s legacy.

“On behalf of the people of Sarawak, we certainly feel the loss of a leader who dedicated his entire life to the people of Malaysia and, more importantly, the people of Sarawak.

“My colleagues and I will continue to develop Sarawak and Malaysia in a more organised direction, especially in the need for global energy transition,” he said after the signing ceremony of a memorandum of understanding between Petronas and the Sarawak government here today.

Abang Johari said Taib had served since the formation of Malaysia in 1963 as a minister in the first governments of Sarawak and Malaysia and made a significant contribution, including being one of the architects of Petronas.

Taib died at a hospital in Kuala Lumpur at about 4.40am. His body was taken to the National Mosque this morning and will be flown to Kuching where it will be brought to his home in Demak Jaya.

Taib was the longest serving head of a state government in Malaysia, heading the Sarawak government for 33 years from 1981 to 2014.

He was the country’s second-longest serving MP, serving Kota Samarahan for 38 years from 1970 to 2008.

He also served as Sarawak governor from 2014 until late last month.

Taib is widely credited with developing the state through numerous infrastructure projects. In January, he was described by Sarawak premier Abang Johari Openg as the “father of modern Sarawak”.