Premier of Sarawak

According to the Article 3(6)(a) of the Constitution of the State of Sarawak,[2] the governor shall first appoint the premier to preside over the Cabinet and requires such premier to be a member of the Legislative Assembly who, in the former's judgment, is likely to command the confidence of the majority of the members of the state assembly. The premier must not be a Malaysian by naturalisation or registration.

The governor will appoint not more than ten nor less than four Ministers on the premier's advice.[2] The governor will also appoint deputy ministers under Article 7A of the state constitution.[2]

The Premier and the Cabinet Ministers must take and subscribe in the presence of the Yang di-Pertua Negeri the oath of office and allegiance as well as the oath of secrecy before they can exercise the functions of office. In line with the Westminster system's principles of "collective responsibility" codified in the State Constitution, the Cabinet is collectively responsible to the State Legislative Assembly. The members of the Cabinet are prohibited from holding any office of profit and engage in any trade, business or profession that will cause conflict of interest. Unlike the Premier, State Ministers and Assistant Ministers hold office at the pleasure of the Yang di-Pertua Negeri Articles 7(3) and 7A(3), Sarawak State Constitution.

If a government cannot get its appropriation (budget) legislation passed by the Legislative Assembly, or the Legislative Assembly passes a vote of "no confidence" in the government, the Premier is bound by convention to resign immediately. The Yang di-Pertua Negeri's choice of replacement chief minister will be dictated by the circumstances. Ministers other than the Premier shall hold office during the pleasure of the Yang di-Pertua Negeri, unless the appointment of any Minister shall have been revoked by the Yang di-Pertua Negeri on the advice of the Premier but may at any time resign his office.

Following a resignation in other circumstances, defeated in an election or the death of a premier, the Yang di-Pertua Negeri will generally appoint as Premier the person voted by the governing party as their new leader.

The Premier is the Head of Government in the State of Sarawak. Both the Federal Constitution and State Constitution as well as other legislations accord various authorities upon the office of the Premier.

Specific provisions of the State Constitution that expresses the authority of the Premier include:-

• Art. 1(1): Consulting with the Yang DiPertuan Agong on the appointment of the Yang di-Pertua Negeri;
• Art. 1(3): Consulting with the Yang DiPertuan Agong on the appointment of the Acting Yang di-Pertua Negeri;
• Art. 1(5): Advising the Yang di-Pertua Negeri, with the consent of the Yang DiPertuan Agong, appointing a person taking the Yang di-Pertua Negeri's place or representing the Yang di-Pertua Negeri at the Conference of Rulers;
• Art. 6(3)(b): Advising the Yang di-Pertua Negeri on the appointment of State Ministers and Assistant Ministers;
• Art. 7(1): Request for the dissolution of the State Legislative Assembly;
• Art. 7(2): Advising the Yang di-Pertua Negeri on the revocation of the appointment of a State Minister;
• Art. 11: Advising the Yang di-Pertua Negeri on the appointment of the State Secretary, State Attorney General, and State Financial Secretary;
• Art. 15(1)(a) & (b): Advising the Yang di-Pertua Negeri on the appointment of the Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the State Legislative Assembly; and
• Art. 35(1): Advising the Yang di-Pertua Negeri on the appointment of the chairman, Deputy chairman, and members of the State Public Service Commission.

The power of the premier is subject to a number of limitations. Premiers removed as leader of his or her party, or whose government loses a vote of no confidence in the Legislative Assembly, must advise a state election or resign the office or be dismissed by the Yang di-Pertua Negeri. The defeat of a supply bill (one that concerns the spending of money) or unable to pass important policy-related legislation is seen to require the resignation of the government or dissolution of Legislative Assembly, much like a non-confidence vote, since a government that cannot spend money is hamstrung, also called loss of supply.

The premier's party will normally have a majority in the Legislative Assembly and party discipline is exceptionally strong in Sarawakian politics, so passage of the government's legislation through the Legislative Assembly is mostly a formality.

The legislative assembly unless sooner dissolved by the Yang di-Pertua Negeri with His Excellency's own discretion on the advice of the chief minister shall continue for five years from the date of its first meeting. The state constitution permits a delay of 90 days of general election to be held from the date of dissolution and the legislative assembly shall be summoned to meet on a date not later than 120 days from the date of dissolution. Conventionally, between the dissolution of one legislative assembly and the convening of the next, the chief minister and the cabinet remain in office in a caretaker capacity.

The following is the list of chief ministers and premiers of Sarawak since 1963:[6][7]

Colour key (for political parties):
  Barisan Nasional/Sarawak Alliance   Gabungan Parti Sarawak

#	Portrait		Name (Birth–Death) Constituency	Political party[lower-alpha 1]	Term of office		Electoral mandates (Assembly)
Chief Ministers (1963–2022)
1			Stephen Kalong Ningkan (1920–1997)	Sarawak Alliance (SNAP)	22 July 1963	16 June 1966
2			Tawi Sli (1912–1987)	Sarawak Alliance (PESAKA)	16 June 1966	7 September 1966
1			Stephen Kalong Ningkan (1920–1997)	Sarawak Alliance (SNAP)	7 September 1966	23 September 1966
2			Tawi Sli (1912–1987)	Sarawak Alliance (PESAKA)	23 September 1966	7 July 1970
3			Abdul Rahman Ya'kub (1928–2015) MLA for Kuala Rajang, 1969–1981	Sarawak Alliance (BUMIPUTERA)	7 July 1970	26 March 1981	1969 (8th) 1974 (9th) 1979 (10th)
				BN (PBB)
4			Abdul Taib Mahmud (b. 1936) MLA for Sebandi, 1981–1991 MLA for Asajaya, 1991–2001 MLA for Balingian, 2001–2014		26 March 1981	28 February 2014	– (10th) 1983 (11th) 1987 (12th) 1991 (13th) 1996 (14th) 2001 (15th) 2006 (16th) 2011 (17th)
5			Adenan Satem[8] (1944–2017) MLA for Muara Tuang, 1979–2006 MLA for Tanjong Datu, 2006–2017		28 February 2014	11 January 2017	– (17th) 2016 (18th)
6			Abang Abdul Rahman Zohari Abang Openg (b. 1950) MLA for Satok, 1981–2021 MLA for Gedong, since 2021		13 January 2017	1 March 2022	– (18th) 2021 (19th)
				GPS (PBB)
Premiers (2022–present)
1			Abang Abdul Rahman Zohari Abang Openg (b. 1950) MLA for Gedong, since 2021	GPS (PBB)	1 March 2022	Incumbent

• 
  Abdul Taib Mahmud
  served 1981-2014
  (age 85)

The most recently deceased premier was Adenan Satem (1944–2017), who died on 11 January 2017.

• Constitution of the State of Sarawak