KUCHING: People can start using the term “Premier” immediately to refer to the Sarawak Chief Minister, although he will only be officially designated as so once the constitutional amendment on the renaming is gazetted, says a state minister.

       Sarawak Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Minister Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah said official use of the title will have to wait until the law is gazetted.

       “After the constitutional amendment Bill was passed by the state legislative assembly, it has to go through the further process of being gazetted and a date appointed for it to be enforced,” he said.

       However, Karim said there was nothing wrong if people started using the term immediately to refer to the chief minister.

       “Since the highest lawmaking body has already approved it in the state, we can’t stop people from using it.

       “I see it being used in social media already,” he told reporters at the state assembly yesterday.

       The Constitution of the State of Sarawak (Amendment) Bill was tabled by Karim on Tuesday and passed with a two-thirds majority, with 67 members voting in favour and six Opposition members against it.

       Besides renaming the chief minister as premier, the Bill also redesignated assistant ministers as deputy ministers and included a new interpretation of the Federation of Malaysia.