KOTA KINABALU, Oct 24 — The Sabah government has today lauded Barisan Nasional’s proposal to have a deputy prime minister from the state.

Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor said that it was a good call by BN chairman Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, and that the proposal was supported by the Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) government.

"We will look for a suitable candidate,” he said.

"What’s important is that we will have a Sabahan representative as the deputy prime minister,” he said after attending the state-level Deepavali celebrations.

The event was organised by the state government and the state Indian chamber of commerce.

Hajiji was asked to comment on Ahmad Zahid’s statement last night that BN would have three deputy prime ministers, one from peninsular Malaysia and one from Sabah and Sarawak.

His proposal was immediately followed by PKR president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim who also proposed appointing two deputy prime ministers — including one from Sabah or Sarawak in the event the coalition won GE15.

Sabah and Sarawak are widely expected to be among the kingmakers of the upcoming elections with 56 parliament seats between them, out of 222 nationwide.

Meanwhile, Hajiji said that seat negotiations between BN and GRS have been finalised and would be announced soon.

"Maybe a few days before nomination day,” he said.

Negotiations have reportedly been contentious over several seats but both GRS and BN state chairman Datuk Bung Moktar Radin have maintained that they will honour their agreement.