KOTA KINABALU – Former Sabah chief minister Tan Sri Joseph Pairin Kitingan has been proposed to be the state’s next governor.
The suggestion came from the Kadazandusun Cultural Association (KDCA) here today in view of the fact that the current governor’s term is coming close to its end.
Presently, Tun Juhar Mahiruddin is governor and is expected to hold his official birthday celebration on October 1.
He is Sabah’s 10th yang di-pertua negeri, having held the post since January 2011.
KDCA secretary-general Suman Yasambun said the association wants the state government to consider its proposal as Pairin fits all the criteria.
“The reason we are proposing for Pairin to be the next governor is because he comes from the major community or race in Sabah.
“He has served the state in the role of chief minister and the indigenous Kadazandusun community, hailed by his people as the paramount leader or ‘Huguan Siou.’
“His nomination was also made in view of the Article 2 of the Sabah constitution, which does not set religion as a criteria to become Sabah governor.
“This is in line with one of the terms of the Malaysia Agreement 1963, where religious freedom is respected in Sabah,” he said here today.
In December 2018, the Sabah assembly voted to amend the state constitution to allow the yang di-pertua negeri to serve indefinitely, replacing the previous two-term limit.
The then-chief minister Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal said the amendment was intended as a return to the original version of the Sabah constitution in 1963, which did not stipulate a term limit for the head of state. – The Vibes, September 28, 2022
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