PETALING JAYA: The Cabinet has agreed to cap the prime minister’s tenure to 10 years as part of the government’s institution reforms, says Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform) Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said (pic).
She said a Bill to amend the Federal Constitution to limit the Prime Minister’s term is expected to be tabled at the Dewan Rakyat before the current meeting ends on March 3.
The decision was made during the weekly Cabinet meeting on Jan 30, she said.
Azalina said the Cabinet decision is a crucial step towards strengthening accountability, checks and balances, and governance based on the Federal Constitution.
She also explained that the term limit on premiership will decentralise executive powers and it is in line with international democracies.
“The proposal to limit the tenure aims to prevent excessive concentration of power, strengthen the democratic system, and enhance public trust in the country’s leadership institutions, in line with matured democratic practices internationally,” she said yesterday.
Azalina said the decision came about after the Cabinet conducted a thorough review of policy inputs, public views and recommendations derived from holistic engagement sessions with stakeholders.
Following this approval, Azalina said the government will proceed with the necessary amendments to the Federal Constitution.
On Jan 5, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim had revealed that the government was drawing up laws to provide for a limit of no more than 10 years or two full terms,
This was one of the ruling coalition’s election pledges in 2022 in its bid to introduce institutional reforms in the country.
A two-thirds parliamentary support or 148 MPs in the 222-seat Dewan Rakyat is needed to amend the Federal Constitution to limit the prime minister’s term.
The term limit of premiership was first introduced by the then Pakatan Harapan government in December 2019, but the second and third readings of the Bill in the Dewan Rakyat for this purpose were deferred to 2020.
In August 2020, the Bill was withdrawn in the Dewan Rakyat under Perikatan Nasional government before it could proceed to second reading.
Penang was the first state in Malaysia to implement a two-term limit on the post of chief minister.
On Friday, Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor spoke about plans to draft laws to limit the chief minister’s tenure to a maximum of two terms or 10 years.
