Chong said he hoped the change could be made alongside two other bills that will be tabled in the state legislature in July, the Daily Express reported.

The first would limit the chief minister to two terms in office, while the other would replace the title of “assistant minister” with “deputy minister”.

“I hope the change of title to premier will be done simultaneously with the above bills.

“The time has come for Sabah to make known that its status is different from other states in Malaya,” he said.

Chong said other Commonwealth countries such as Australia and Canada already follow this protocol, where the prime minister is the country’s elected leader and territories within are led by a premier.

Chong’s Gagasan Rakyat colleague George Teo backed the proposal.

“The change in title is not for the personal glory of chief minister Hajiji Noor or his successors. It is about making our stand known that Sabah is different from peninsular states.

“It will also reflect the seriousness of the Sabah government about pursuing its rights and status under the Malaysia Agreement 1963,” Teo said.

Sarawak changed its designation of “chief minister” to “premier” on Feb 15, 2022. It also changed the titles of “deputy chief minister” and “assistant minister” to “deputy premier” and “deputy minister” respectively.