Two-term PM-limiting bill falls in Malaysian parliament

The lower house of Malaysia’s parliament narrowly rejected a constitutional amendment that would have limited the prime ministership to two terms, with a high proportion of abstentions, despite the absence of a clear ‘no’.

The proposed amendment, which aims to limit anyone’s service as prime minister to 10 years, was part of the reform agenda of Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s ruling coalition. Anwar, who comes to power in 2022, has faced growing pressure to deliver on campaign promises, with critics accusing him of wavering on reforms.

The bill was rejected because the 146 MPs who voted in favor fell two short of the required two-thirds majority.

In Monday’s vote, 44 MPs abstained and 32 MPs did not participate.

Speaking before the vote, Law Minister Azalina Othman Said refuted the opposition’s claims that the change could weaken the authority of the king, who has the constitutional power to appoint a prime minister.

Instead, he argued that term limits would strengthen institutional integrity by preventing the indefinite concentration of power at the executive level. The failure to pass the bill comes amid growing discontent, including within the ruling coalition, over the implementation of Anwar’s reform plans. Anwar said in January that his administration would pursue other reforms this year, including the ombudsman law.

This week, parliament is expected to debate another bill aimed at separating the attorney general’s dual role as the government’s chief legal advisor and prosecutor.

The current regulation has raised concerns about potential conflicts of interest, as attorneys general are appointed by the prime minister. Last month, ten MPs from Anwar’s party threatened to withdraw their support from the bill, saying it risked creating a new office with powers concentrated among a few people.