Abdul Taib Mahmud - Early Life and Education

Early Life and Education

Born in impoverished circumstances in 1936, Taib can nonetheless trace an aristocratic link to the Royal Court of Brunei. Taib's uncle, Abdul Rahman Ya'kub raised Taib since he was a boy. Taib was four years old when the Second World war broke out. Taib's father, Mahmud Abang Yahaya, considering his family safety from Japanese occupation, decided to move his family to Mukah. Taib undertook his early schooling at St Joseph's Primary School in Miri and later won a scholarship to study at St. Joseph's Secondary School in Kuching. There, he met Tan Sri Dr George Chan Hong Nam who was the deputy chief minister of Sarawak and Tan Sri Bujang bin Mohammed Nor, the former Sarawak state secretary. After school, Taib Mahmud planned to become a doctor but he was persuaded by Rahman Ya'kub to take up law. In 1958, his excellent performance in the Higher School Certificate (HSC) examination earned him a Colombo Plan scholarship, allowing Taib to further his studies at the University of Adelaide in South Australia. He graduated with Bachelor of Laws from the university in 1960. After the demise of his father, Taib took up the responsibility to look after his siblings and to discipline his siblings in studies and in looking after the household. Taib Mahmud pursued his postgraduate studies at Harvard International Summer Course in 1964. Since then, Taib Mahmud has written and published several Islamic books and other works including "Muhammad and His Mission, Islam and Utility of Mankind", "Freedom of Thought of Islam", and "Appropriate Strategy for Developing Countries in a Period of Resource Scarcity". Taib was also known for being a loyal fan to P. Ramlee.