Anwar Revives Long-Promised Reform – Malaysia To Table Bill Limiting Prime Minister’s Term To 2
A legislation to separate the roles of attorney-general and public prosecutor will also be tabled in the coming parliamentary session.
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In a surprise turn at the start of the 2026 parliamentary year, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim signalled that the government will move ahead with plans to table a Bill that could cap the tenure of Malaysia’s Prime Minister to a maximum of 10 years (equivalent to two full parliamentary terms).
According to a report by Free Malaysia Today, Anwar said the move was based on the principle that leadership positions should have clear limits to allow for orderly succession.
“Everyone has a term limit. Even the chief secretary to the government cannot serve for ten years,” he said while adding that leaders should be given enough time to put policies in place before handing over their responsibilities to the next person.
He also announced the government’s plans to table a Freedom of Information (FOI) bill to strengthen transparency and prevent abuse of power, particularly when it involves tenders, contracts and government projects.
Last year, Zamri Misman, the director-general of the legal affairs division in the Prime Minister’s Department, said the Cabinet had delayed the tabling of the FOI to early 2026 to allow for more time for refinement.
Other reforms being taken off the backburner
In addition to the 10-year term limit for prime ministers, Anwar also announced that the legislation to separate the roles of attorney-general and the public prosecutor would be tabled in the next parliamentary session.
According to Datuk Seri Azalina Othman, the Minister of Law and Institutional Reform in the Prime Minister’s Department, the government’s plan to separate the two roles had entered its second phase as of December 2025.
“The second phase will focus on finalising the institutional structure, examining the need for amendments to the Federal Constitution, making the related legislative amendments, and drafting new laws to ensure the effective and comprehensive implementation of this reform,” she said.
The proposed reform revives an old pledge that has circulated in political discussions for years, with parties such as DAP openly advocating for a 10-year cap on the premiership.
How long can a Malaysian Prime Minister currently serve?
Under Malaysia’s Federal Constitution today, there is no limit on how many terms a Prime Minister may serve or a maximum duration of time in office. Instead, the constitution stipulates that:
- The Yang di-Pertuan Agong appoints as Prime Minister a member of the Dewan Rakyat (House of Representatives) who, in his judgment, commands the confidence of the majority of MPs.
- As long as a Prime Minister maintains that parliamentary confidence, they may continue in office indefinitely. There is no fixed term limit written into the constitution.
- Historically, several prime ministers have served long tenures under this system. For example, Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad served as prime minister for over two decades in his first stint alone before returning for a second term (1981–2003 and 2018–2020).
The proposed bill would change this by limiting the premiership to no more than 10 years, formalising a tenure cap into Malaysia’s constitutional framework. If passed, it would mark one of the most significant institutional reforms in Malaysian governance in recent years.
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