Hanifah Hajar Taib

Hanifah Hajar binti Abdul Taib; also known as Hanifah Hajar Taib Alsree is a Malaysian politician and businesswoman who has served as the Deputy Minister of Economy in the Unity Government administration under Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and Minister Rafizi Ramli since December 2022 and the Member of Parliament for Mukah since May 2018. She was the Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister's Department in charge of Sabah and Sarawak Affairs for the second term in the Barisan Nasional administration under former Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob and Minister Maximus Ongkili from August 2021 to the collapse of the PN administration in November 2022 and the first term in the Perikatan Nasional administration under former Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin and Minister Maximus Ongkili from March 2020 to August 2021. She is a member of the Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu, a component party of the Gabungan Parti Sarawak coalition and formerly BN coalitions. She is also the daughter of Abdul Taib Mahmud, the former Yang di-Pertua Negeri of Sarawak and former Chief Minister of Sarawak.

Background

Hanifah is the youngest daughter of the former Yang di-Pertua Negeri of Sarawak Abdul Taib Mahmud, who was the longest-serving Chief Minister of Sarawak. She graduated from the University of San Francisco with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration.
Before venturing into politics, she spent about two decades working in different fields. She is chief executive officer at Limkokwing University of Creative Technology as well as the Executive Director at Cats FM and Miri Marriott Resort & Spa. She is also a shareholder of Cahya Mata Sarawak Berhad and the Non-Independent & Non-Executive Director of Sarawak Cable Berhad. She is also the Chairwoman of Pertubuhan Kebajikan Islam Malaysia Wanita Bahagian Sarawak.
Hanifah is married to a Singaporean businessman Syed Ahmad Alwee Alsree since 2000. In 2017, her wealth was estimated at RM 309 million, making her one of the richest women in Malaysia.