PROPOSED 10-YEAR TERM LIMIT FOR PM CAN STRENGTHEN DEMOCRACY, GOVERNANCE – ACADEMICS

By Ahmad Aidil Syukri Hamzah, Vikneswaran Raman and Mohd Khairi Idham Amran

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 5 (Bernama) -- The introduction of legislation to limit the Prime Minister’s term of office to 10 years can strengthen a culture of democratic leadership and prevent an administration from leaning towards autocratic rule, academics said.

Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM) deputy vice-chancellor (Academic and International) Prof Dr Mohd Azizuddin Mohd Sani said the move can also improve the system of checks and balances in the country’s administration.

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He said the existence of a law limiting the Prime Minister's tenure would provide clearer guidance for the country’s administrative system, while at the same time creating space for a more orderly and healthy transition of leadership.

“The opportunity to look for other leaders must be opened because in a democratic system, choices should always be given to other capable individuals who can govern better,” he said when contacted by Bernama today.

Mohd Azizuddin said the practice of limiting the tenure of a head of government is a norm in many democratic countries, and its implementation in Malaysia is expected to have a positive impact on national governance, particularly in terms of accountability and leadership renewal.

As such, he views the government’s willingness to bring a proposal that has long been discussed to Parliament as an indication of its commitment to the institutional reform agenda, although he acknowledged that the process of drafting such legislation would require scrutiny and in-depth debate.

His view was supported by geostrategy expert Prof Dr Azmi Hassan, who described the proposal to limit the Prime Minister’s tenure to two terms as a justified institutional reform and one that is in line with the practices of mature democracies.

Azmi, who is also a Fellow of the National Professors Council, said a term limit is necessary to prevent the concentration of power in a single individual for too long, which could potentially weaken the system of checks and balances in governance.

“If a head of government remains in office for too long, it can hinder the emergence of new ideas and narrow the space for policy renewal,” he said, adding that a term limit would help create a more dynamic cycle of leadership and ideas.

Azmi also opined that the implementation of such term limits should be extended to the state level, involving the positions of Menteri Besar and Chief Minister, to ensure consistency between the federal and state systems.

Meanwhile, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia Kuala Lumpur Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities director Associate Professor Dr Mazlan Ali said the two-term limit is a practice that has long been implemented in many countries, including the United States and Indonesia, and has proven to be consistent with democratic principles.

He said a two-term period is considered sufficient for a Prime Minister or head of government to implement the agenda and mission of their administration based on the principles of good governance.

“If a leader remains in office for too long without a term limit, there is a risk of abuse of power and violations of the principles of integrity and transparency.

“By limiting the tenure to two terms, it serves as a control mechanism against the possibility of abuse of power by the chief executive,” he said.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim announced the tabling of a bill to limit the Prime Minister’s tenure when delivering his New Year Message 2026 at the monthly assembly with staff of the Prime Minister’s Department in Putrajaya this morning.

The proposal is among several institutional reform initiatives to be brought to the next parliamentary session.

-- BERNAMA