DEBATE PM TERM LIMITS WITH DECORUM, CREDIBILITY - FINANCE MINISTER’S AIDE

KUALA LUMPUR, March 17 (Bernama) -- Discussions on limiting the Prime Minister’s tenure to a maximum of 10 years should be conducted with utmost decorum and credibility, said the Political Secretary to the Minister of Finance, Muhammad Kamil Abdul Munim.

In a post on X, he criticised the actions of PAS Youth Chief Afnan Hamimi Taib Azamudden for using highly negative connotations and weak arguments, alleging that the Federal Constitution was being “rewritten at will.”

“The issue of limiting the Prime Minister’s term is intended to prevent political dominance by any individual. Therefore, it should be debated with decorum and credibility. However, he has chosen to be shallow and devoid of substance,” he stated.

He said PAS was becoming increasingly panicked as democracy was functioning as it should under the leadership of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, who is also Finance Minister, and the current MADANI government.

"If this is the level of thinking that guides PAS youth today, I fear what the mindset will be like at the grassroots level and what type of youths will emerge in the future within PAS under his (Afnan Hamimi’s) leadership."

"Perhaps the PAS Youth Chief should ask himself – does PAS disagree with the term limit for the Prime Minister because they themselves want a leader to remain in power forever?" he said.

Muhammad Kamil said that Malaysia is not an autocratic country where decisions can be made arbitrarily, as any amendment requires a two-thirds majority in Parliament, including open discussions and debates in the Dewan Rakyat on various issues that directly impact the people.

Furthermore, he said that the actions of those involved in not supporting the 2025 Constitutional Amendment Bill, aimed at strengthening and freeing Parliament from executive influence, are clear evidence that PAS is not serious about truly upholding the principles of democracy in the country.

“This highlights the importance of political stability. Leaders should not be easily swayed by the allure of power and position to the point of neglecting the fundamental values of a democratic nation.

“The public has already witnessed how their obsession with power prevented them from pushing for meaningful reforms during the 33 months they were in government,” he added.

Previously, in a Facebook post, Afnan Hamimi alleged that the Federal Constitution was being unravelled and amended according to the government's ‘whims and desires’.

 -- BERNAMA