Sarawak CM known as Premier from Tuesday (March 1)

Sarawak Chief Minister Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg, seen here taking his oath of office as Gedong assemblyman on the opening day of the state assembly sitting on Feb 14, will now be addressed as the Premier of Sarawak. - ZULAZHAR SHEBLEE/The Star

KUCHING: The constitutional amendment restyling the Sarawak chief minister as premier has been gazetted and comes into effect on Tuesday (March 1).

State secretary Datuk Amar Jaul Samion said the chief minister would now be addressed in English as the Premier of Sarawak and in Bahasa Malaysia as Premier Sarawak.

“The office of the chief minister (chief minister’s office) will be referred to in English as the Office of the Premier of Sarawak and in Bahasa Malaysia as Pejabat Premier Sarawak,” he said in a statement on Tuesday.

He added that the deputy chief minister would now be referred to as Deputy Premier (Timbalan Premier) and assistant ministers as deputy ministers (timbalan menteri).

The Constitution of the State of Sarawak (Amendment) Bill to rename chief minister as Premier and assistant ministers as deputy ministers was tabled in the Sarawak Legislative Assembly on Feb 15.

It was passed with more than a two-thirds majority, with 67 assemblymen voting in favour and six Opposition members against it.

According to a Sarawak Government Gazette published on the state Attorney General Chambers’ website, the Yang di-Pertua Negeri has appointed March 1 as the date for the constitutional amendments to come into force.

When tabling the Bill, state Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Minister Datuk Seri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah had said the amendment to rename chief minister as premier would correctly reflect Sarawak’s status as different from the other states in Malaysia.

He said this would give full effect to the recent Federal Constitution amendments which restored Sarawak’s rights and status as one of three regions which formed the Federation of Malaysia under the Malaysia Agreement 1963.