KUCHING, Feb 20 — Toh Puan Datuk Patinggi Raghad Kurdi Taib, the wife of former Head of State Tun Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud, today confirmed a certain image of a person lying on a hospital bed published by an online portal is not Taib.

In an Instagram post, she added some news outlets had also confirmed the image was indeed of someone else entirely.

"I want to assure everyone that the (person in the) photo is not him, but someone else.

"I respectfully request all blogs and media portals to remove this (particular) story to protect both the individual in the photo and my husband’s privacy,” she added.

She stressed Taib, 87, is still recuperating and receiving proper treatment at the hospital he is currently residing in Kuala Lumpur.

"Please keep us in your prayers,” she said.

The photo in question, which has gone viral in social media, shows an elderly man with a white beard and lying unconscious on a hospital bed, while someone who seems to be Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim is visiting. — Borneo Post