The Malaysian Cabinet has officially approved a policy to limit the Prime Minister’s tenure to a maximum of 10 years, or two full terms. The decision forms a key pillar of the Madani government’s institutional reform agenda and is widely regarded as a crucial step toward strengthening accountability, checks and balances, and constitutional-based governance under the Federal Constitution.
Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform), Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said, announced that the decision was reached during the Cabinet’s weekly meeting on January 30.
She emphasized that the policy is designed to prevent excessive concentration of power in the hands of a single individual and to reinforce a more mature and balanced democratic system.
“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 mature democratic practices internationally.”
The Road to Constitutional Amendment
Azalina explained that the Cabinet’s approval was not made hastily. Prior to reaching a decision, the government conducted a comprehensive review of policy inputs, public views, and recommendations gathered through extensive engagement sessions with various stakeholders.
Following approval in principle, the government will proceed to the next stage: amending the Federal Constitution. The proposed constitutional amendment is scheduled to be tabled in Parliament during the current sitting.
In a recent statement, Azalina noted that the constitutional amendment bill could be presented before the Dewan Rakyat session concludes in early March. To pass a constitutional amendment, the support of a two-thirds parliamentary majority, at least 148 out of 222 Members of Parliament, is required.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has previously confirmed that the bill to limit the Prime Minister’s tenure is one of four key pieces of legislation to be introduced as part of the government’s institutional reform agenda.
The issue has been on the reform roadmap since March last year, when Anwar instructed that the proposal be examined in depth at the Cabinet level.
Public Endorsement Over Time
Public support for limiting the Prime Minister’s tenure is notably strong. A public consultation conducted by the Legal Affairs Division found that a clear majority of respondents backed the policy.
Of the 3,722 participants who took part in the week-long survey, 89.9 percent expressed support for the principle of term limits, while 8.27 percent opposed it and 1.75 percent remained undecided.
Historically, the idea of imposing term limits on the Prime Minister is not new. A similar policy was introduced in December 2019 under the Pakatan Harapan administration, but deliberations on the bill were delayed and it was eventually withdrawn in August 2020 by the subsequent government before reaching its second reading.
At the subnational level, Penang became the first state to implement a two-term limit for the position of Chief Minister. A similar move is now being considered in Sabah, where Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor has announced plans to draft legislation limiting the Chief Minister’s tenure to a maximum of two terms, or 10 years.
With the Cabinet’s latest decision, the proposal to impose term limits on the Prime Minister has returned to the formal legislative track, marking a significant milestone in the direction of Malaysia’s political and institutional reforms.
