On Saturday, Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi had remarked about the possibility of an increase in the number, saying “I don’t want to confirm this but there are efforts being made so that the state constitution is amended to allow for more than three DCMs to be appointed”.
A motion must be presented at the state assembly for amending the constitution, he told reporters at a function in Cheras, where he was asked about his remarks last week that he would push for a Chinese assemblyman to be appointed as deputy chief minister.
Although Zahid’s suggestion was welcomed by MCA president Liow Tiong Lai today, two lawyers in Kuching were reported to have dismissed Zahid’s plan as unnecessary.
Liow said it would be good for the Chinese community to be represented at the highest level. Sarawak Chinese had played an important role in the state’s development “so we hope a deputy chief minister can be appointed to represent the Chinese community,” he said.
However, lawyers pointed out that the state constitution was silent on the position of a deputy chief minister similarly to the Federal Constitution which did not specify the position of a deputy prime minister.
Peter John Jaban of the Sarawak For Sarawak movement was quoted as saying that the position of deputy chief minister was created out of political expediency. “I know the state Constitution is silent on the appointment of deputy chief minister, but it does not prevent the chief minister from naming a deputy or deputies,” he was quoted to have said.
Former assemblyman Dominique Ng Kim Ho said there was no need to amend the state Constitution. “Let it stay silent. It does not prevent the chief minister from appointing any state assemblyman to be deputy chief minister,” he was quoted as saying.
On Friday, Adenan had appointed Parti Rakyat Sarawak president James Masing, Douglas Uggah Embas and Abang Johari Openg of Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu as deputy chief ministers.
The head of two Chinese-based parties were made ministers: Sim Kui Hian of SUPP as state local government minister and Wong Soon Koh of UPP as state finance minister II.
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Recording shows no promise of Chinese DCM: report