By Shikin Louis
KUCHING, March 2: Prime Minister Dato Seri Anwar Ibrahim has proposed a historic amendment to the Federal Constitution aimed at limiting the tenure of the Prime Minister to a maximum of 10 years.
He said the move is not about restricting leadership opportunities, but about strengthening institutions and ensuring leadership renewal in the country.
“Limiting the tenure of the Prime Minister is not new; it has long been part of a broader reform discourse. We have taken steps to translate that discourse into this amendment as a political commitment to implement reforms consistently.
“The rationale is to establish governance mechanisms recognised in modern democracies, ensuring that the transition of power and leadership happens in an orderly, structured and lawful manner,” he said when tabling the Federal Constitution (Amendment) Bill 2026 in Parliament today.
Anwar also stressed that the amendment does not affect the powers of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, who retains full constitutional authority, nor does it reduce Parliament’s role in granting confidence to the government.
“This proposal is drafted in line with the existing Federal Constitution.
“It does not alter the fundamentals of parliamentary democracy, affect the prerogative powers of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, or reduce the Dewan Rakyat’s role in granting confidence to the Government,” he added.
The proposed bill introduces eight clauses, namely: Clause 1, which sets out the short title of the Act and empowers the Yang di-Pertuan Agong to determine its commencement; Clause 2, which amends Article 43 of the Federal Constitution; Clause 2A, a new provision that limits the Prime Minister’s tenure to ten aggregate years, whether consecutive or not; Clauses 4A and 4B, which require the Prime Minister and Cabinet ministers to step down from office once the tenure limit is reached; Clause 4C, which allows the outgoing Prime Minister and ministers to continue performing essential functions until a new government is appointed; Clause 4D, which clarifies how the ten-year tenure is calculated, including exceptions such as periods following the dissolution of Parliament; and Clause 5, which updates Article 43(5) to reflect the new provisions. — DayakDaily
