Mutang laid to rest at Fairy Park Miri Memorial Park
MIRI: The late Senate President Datuk Mutang Tagal was laid to rest at the Fairy Park Miri Memorial Park in Lambir here yesterday.
Over 1,000 people comprising family and friends, state cabinet ministers and members of the public attended the funeral.
Accompanying the final journey was Mutang’s wife Datin Ho May Leng and their children Rining, Saran and Bian, as well as his father Tagal Paran and sister Sandra Tagal, who represented his siblings.
At the funeral, 100-year-old Supang Balang from Ba Kelalan was the oldest to pay her last respects. She is the biological sister of Mutang’s deceased mother Yamu Pengiran, but had been adopted by another family.
Earlier, Mutang’s body was transported from the BEM Airport Road Church to the BEM Canada Hill Church for the funeral prayers, and among those in attendance were Azerbaijan Ambassador to Malaysia Irfan Davudov, Deputy Minister in the Sarawak Premier’s Department Datuk Gerawat Gala and his wife Datin Esther Balan.
During the funeral service, Mutang’s 91-year-old father again displayed exemplary calm when delivering his eulogy, saying that while losing both his sons was painful, he was comforted with the knowledge and faith they would meet again in heavenly embrace.
Ho meanwhile thanked Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim for visiting Mutang twice, as well as Premier Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg when he was admitted to the National Heart Institute in Kuala Lumpur, saying they had gone out of their way to ensure every form of assistance was rendered to the family during that difficult time.
Sandra said Mutang’s passing left a large void in the family, and that they would miss his late night video calls, unannounced arrival for meals at their house, and the sight of him sitting in his Ba Kelalan shed reading his Bible with a cup of coffee early in the morning or taking videos with his iPad or phone.
Rining in his eulogy said his father was a generous, loyal and humble man who remained true to his Christian faith with outreach programmes.
“Dad was a people’s person and was always there for everyone – an empathetic man who always saw the good in every person and a good listener,” he said.
Mutang had been receiving treatment at the National Heart Institute since returning to the country from Azerbaijan, where he had been on a working visit, and passed away on May 10.