Proposed law seeks to limit a prime minister’s term at 10 years
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia has moved a step closer to capping the prime minister’s tenure at 10 years, with a constitutional amendment Bill tabled in the Dewan Rakyat that would bar any premier from serving beyond a decade – whether consecutively or otherwise.
The proposal, tabled by Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform) Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said, seeks to amend Article 43 of the Federal Constitution and, if passed with a two-thirds majority, would mark a historic reform limiting executive power.
Azalina tabled the constitutional amendment Bill for its first reading yesterday, with the second and third readings scheduled within the current meeting.
The term limit is included under a new proposed Clause 2(a) of Article 43.
According to the new Clause (4b), the Cabinet will also be dissolved once the prime minister’s 10-year tenure ends.
The outgoing prime minister and Cabinet are allowed to carry out caretaker duties under a new Clause (4c) of Article 43 until a new government is formed.
However, their function will be limited.
A prime minister’s tenure prior to the enactment of the new law will also be taken into account when computing the 10 years.
A constitutional amendment requires the support of two-thirds or 148 MPs of the 222-seat Dewan Rakyat.
Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad was the only prime minister to hold office for 24 years across two stints.
He was also the only premier to hold office for a period of more than 10 years.
The law was part of the several reforms by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar’s government.
It was also part of Pakatan Harapan’s election manifesto.
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In August 2020, the Bill was withdrawn in the Dewan Rakyat under the Perikatan Nasional government before it could proceed to the second reading.
Penang was the first state in Malaysia to implement a two-term limit on the post of chief minister.
