Bad weather hampers effort to fly late Mutang’s family in Ba Kelalan to Miri

MIRI (May 11): Bad weather has hampered the effort to fly the elderly father and siblings of the late Datuk Mutang Tagal from Ba Kelalan in a helicopter to Miri today.

Mutang’s cousin, Libat Langub, said the helicopter pilot found that the weather between Ba kelalan and Lawas was not conducive for such flight and aborted it.

The flight was supposed to send Tagal Paran, Mutang’s 91 year-old father, and two siblings from Buduk Nur village to Miri today.

“I was told that the pilot will try to take off by 8am tomorrow morning,” he said when met at a relative’s house here.

Libat is in Miri, joining relatives, fellow Lun Bawang tribesmen and Sarawakians to prepare for Mutang’s funeral.

“He is gone too soon,” he said of the sudden passing of the 20th Senate president.

“It came as a total surprise as he never expected to be back in parliament after so long, and he had never asked for it, but it was a historic occasion,” said Libat.

Mutang is the first Dayak and Lun Bawang to be appointed to the post, the highest ever in the community.

He died yesterday at the National Heart Institute in Kuala Lumpur after failing to recover from his sudden illness following a working visit to Azerbaijan.

Libat said Mutang was raring to live up to expectations of this historic appointment.

“It is such a great loss to Malaysia and Sarawak for he has shown inspirational leadership while he was a two-term Bukit Mas MP.

“He was barely 29 years old when he was first elected as an MP but, being mild mannered and easy to get along with. He managed to cover and serve such a vast rural constituency well.

“He inspired many Lun Bawang students to aim high for a degree and there were only a few who had such qualifications back then,” said Libat.

Meanwhile, BEM Airport Road Church here is preparing for the memorial service which would be held tomorrow (May 12), which would be open to the public to pay their last respects, including Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg.

Mustang’s remains are expected to arrive in Miri around 10am tomorrow.

On Monday (May 13), a funeral prayer would be held at BEM Canada Hill Church Miri before Mutang is laid to rest at the Fairy Park Miri Memorial Park (formerly known as Golden Hill Memorial Park).