By DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, Jan 6: DAP Sarawak chairman Chong Chieng Jen welcomes Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s proposal to limit the tenure of the prime minister to two terms or a maximum of 10 years.
He said, the proposal, if approved, would be the first of its kind among countries that practise the Westminster system, and it would serve as a systemic check on the unlimited power of the sitting prime minister.
“The idea of one’s prime-ministership will only last for 10 years maximum, coupled with the precedents of ex-prime minister being convicted for corruption are effective check on one’s greed sitting in that position,” Chong said in a statement, today.
He said that if this provision were put in place earlier, he believed many of the alleged wrongdoings and damages associated with former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad could have been avoided and the 1MDB scandal would most likely not exist.
“DAP Sarawak welcomes the announcement and looks forward to the tabling of the bill in Parliament. As this will involve an amendment to the Federal Constitution, it will require a two-third majority of support in the Dewan Rakyat. All DAP Members of Parliament will be present to cast our votes of support in the House,” he said.
As a Sarawakian, Chong also expressed hope that a similar term limit could one day be incorporated into the Constitution of the State of Sarawak. – DayakDaily
