PUTRAJAYA, Jan 31 — The government has agreed to a policy proposal to limit the prime minister’s term of office to 10 years, as an important step to strengthen the principles of accountability, checks and balances and constitutional-based governance.
Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform) Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said said the decision was reached at yesterday’s Cabinet meeting after a comprehensive review of policy inputs, public feedback and recommendations submitted following engagement sessions involving various stakeholders.
“The proposal to limit the term of office aims to prevent the excessive concentration of power, strengthen the democratic system, and enhance public confidence in the nation’s leadership institutions.
"This is in line with the practices of mature democracies at the international level,” she said in a statement today.
She said the move, which is part of the government’s institutional reform agenda, would require the government to implement several related amendments to the Federal Constitution, which are expected to be tabled in Parliament during the current sitting.
On January 5, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said in his 2026 New Year Address that a bill to limit the prime minister’s term of office to no more than 10 years is among four key pieces of new legislation to be tabled in Parliament this year.
In March last year, while chairing a Cabinet meeting, Anwar directed that the proposal studied carefully and in depth.
