Malaysia introduces 10-year term limit for PM

Malaysia’s Prime Minister, Anwar Ibrahim, has announced plans to introduce a new law this year to limit the tenure of the country’s prime minister to a maximum of 10 years.

Anwar made the disclosure on Monday while addressing ministers and civil servants after a cabinet meeting, saying the move would fulfil one of his key campaign promises.

He cautioned leaders against holding tightly to power, stressing that leadership should not be permanent. According to him, “everyone has a term limit,” noting that no individual should be exempt from such a rule.

“We will table a bill to limit the term of the prime minister, not exceeding 10 years or two full terms,” Anwar said in a special New Year’s announcement.

After serving the term, “it is better for us to hand it over to the next generation”, he added.

There is currently no term limit, and former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad was in power for 22 years during his first tenure until he stepped down in 2003.

Mahathir then came out of retirement to lead a disparate opposition coalition that ousted the graft-tainted government of then-prime minister Najib Razak in the 2018 elections.

He became the world’s oldest serving prime minister when he was sworn in again as Malaysia’s leader at age 92 that year.

Anwar did not say when the term limits bill would be filed. Parliament will hold its first session of the year this month.

Anwar’s Pakatan Harapan (Alliance of Hope) coalition pledged in its 2022 election manifesto to limit the prime minister’s tenure to two terms.

Separately, Anwar announced the government would also introduce a freedom of information bill in parliament, along with legislation to set up the office of an ombudsman to strengthen the fight against corruption.

“The ombudsman … allows the people to raise any issues because without exception, from the prime minister downwards, everyone must be accountable and open to be questioned,” Anwar said.

Last month, Malaysia’s High Court sentenced ex-premier Najib to 15 more years in jail after convicting him of abuse of power and money laundering in the 1MDB sovereign wealth fund graft scandal.

The additional years will run after Najib, 72, serves a current six-year jail term in a case related to the now-defunct 1MDB.

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