Senator post for Mat Taib

PETALING JAYA: Umno information chief Tan Sri Muhammad Muhammad Taib will be appointed senator, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said. 

Muhammad: Was SelangorMentri Besar in 1996-1997

Abdullah said this when announcing the Cabinet reshuffle at his office in Putrajaya yesterday. 

Muhammad was Selangor Mentri Besar from 1996 to 1997, when he resigned after he was found to have failed to declare to the Australian Customs at Brisbane International Airport that he was bringing in A$1.6mil (RM3.7mil at that time). 

The Brisbane District Court, however, acquitted him. 

Muhammad was Umno vice-president from 1993 until 2004, when he failed to retain his post during the party election. 

He was appointed party information chief later that year.