KOTA KINABALU: Datuk Seri Wilfred Madius Tangau has backed a proposal to nominate Huguan Siou (paramount leader of the Kadazandusun Murut communities) Tan Sri Joseph Pairin Kitingan as the next head of state.
The Upko president noted that Pairin, who is the founder and former president of Parti Bersatu Sabah, checked all the boxes to become the Sabah Yang di-Pertua Negeri (TYT).
"This is my own view, not Upko's, but I support the idea," he told reporters in Penampang near here on Wednesday (Sept 28).
"There's nothing in the Sabah Constitution that disqualifies him," he added.
The proposal for Pairin to be the next head of state was suggested by the Kadazandusun Cultural Association (KDCA) through its secretary-general Suman Yasambun earlier on Wednesday.
Suman said Pairin, 82, a former chief minister, was a leader amongst the natives and could fully represent Sabah as the next head of state.
To a question on whether appointing a non-Muslim as TYT will cause disharmony in Sabah, Tangau said the Sabah head of state has no burden to be the head of Islam in the state.
"The State Constitution specifies that the head of Islam in Sabah is the Yang Di-Pertuan Agong. So, there is no problem actually," he said.
Meanwhile, Tangau also supported the idea of having a fixed parliamentary term for Malaysia.
The Tuaran MP said the country will stand to benefit from the system which was practised in the United Kingdom.
"It's very difficult to work when everybody only asks when the election is," he said.
Earlier on Wednesday, Dewan Rakyat Speaker Tan Sri Azhar Azizan Harun also said a fixed parliamentary term system was a practical move for the country.