KUCHING, May 10: Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) and Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) conveyed their sadness and condolences upon the passing of Senate President, Datuk Mutang Tagal this morning.
GPS Secretary-General, Dato Sri Alexander Nanta Linggi said his departure is a significant loss for the nation, specifically Sarawak.
“He made history by being the first Dayak from the Lun Bawang Ethnic group to be appointed as the 20th Senate President in February 2024.
“Since his participation in politics, he has played many crucial roles in serving the party and of course the Lun Bawang community itself in highlighting their role in developing the state of Sarawak together,” Nanta said in a statement issued today.
Nanta remarked that the late Tagal was not an unfamiliar figure to him.
“I still can recall the history of his involvement in Sarawak politics, when my father (Tan Sri Datuk Amar Leonard Linggi) who was then PBB Secretary-General at that time, played an important role in bringing Tagal to join PBB in the 70s, before becoming a Member of Parliament in the 1980s to 1990s,” he added.
Nanta also said that the late Tagal was not only an ally in politics, but also a close friend, along with his entire family.
“I must admit that the news of Datuk Mutang Tagal’s passing affects me personally.
“I pray that all members of the late senator’s family and the entirety of the Lun Bawang community will be given strength to face this loss,” he continued.-TVS
