KUALA TERRENGANU, March 10: Malaysia's constitution should be amended to ensure that only a Muslim can become prime minister of the multi-racial country, the main opposition party said on Wednesday.

Islamic Party (PAS) president Abdul Hadi Awang, who is leading a challenge to the government in elections due on March 21, said that under the present secular constitution "the prime minister could be anyone".

Asked whether a Chinese could become prime minister under his proposed constitutional amendment, Abdul Hadi told the official Bernama news agency: "We want a Chinese who is a Muslim." Most Muslims are ethnic Malays. -AFP