With effect from today, the post of Chief Minister is now known as Premier of Sarawak

 By Simon Peter

KUCHING, March 1, 2022 - Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Openg is now known as  Premier of Sarawak  in place of Chief Minister following the passage of an amendment to the State Constitution in the State Legislative Assembly on February 15 this year.

Picture: Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Openg is Premier of Sarawak, effective today

State Secretary Datuk Amar Jaul Samion said the amendment is effective from today, March 1, 2022. “The Chief Minister of Sarawak after the date of coming into force of the amendment will be addressed in English as the “Premier of Sarawak" and in Bahasa Malaysia as “Premier Sarawak”,” he said in a statement.

He said the Office of the Chief Minister will be referred to in English as the "Office of the Premier of Sarawak” and in Bahasa Malaysia as “Pejabat Premier Sarawak”.

“In this connection, Deputy Chief Minister (Timbalan Ketua Menteri) will be referred to as Deputy Premier (Timbalan Premier) and Assistant Minister (Menteri Muda) as Deputy Minister (Timbalan Menteri) with effect from the same date,” he said.

When tabling the Sarawak Constitution (Amendment) Bill, 2022, Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Minister Datuk Sri Karim Rahman Hamzah in the State Assembly said the restyling of the post of head of Sarawak government from “Chief Minister” to “Premier”  was to give full effect to the amendment of the Federal Constitution.

He added the recent amendments to the Federal Constitution restores the spirit originally  contemplated by the parties to the Malaysia Agreement, 1963 (MA63) and that is, when Sarawak agreed to be a party in the formation of Malaysia, it was intended  that Sarawak retain its status as one of the three regions that formed the new Federation of Malaysia.  

He said this put Sarawak as one of the three regions and is to be regarded not with the  same status as the other component States in the Federation of Malaya.

He added the  special status of Sarawak needs to be reflected in the manner different from other  States in the Federation.

“As practised in other Commonwealth regions assuming similar set up with  Malaysia including Australia and Canada, the Head of the Federation is styled as  Prime Minister and Heads of Regions constituting the Federation is styled as  Premier while the other sub-regions or states are headed by Chief Ministers.

“Therefore, to correctly reflect the status of Sarawak as different from the other  States in the Federation, it is proposed that the designation and style of Chief  Minister be re-styled to Premier,” Karim said.

He said the amendment also to change the designation of “Assistant Minister” to  “Deputy Minister” .

“In view of the responsibilities that they hold  and exercise, it is therefore necessary to reflect the proper designation and style  from that of “Assistant Minister” to “Deputy Minister”,” said.