KUALA LUMPUR, March 2 — The Constitution (Amendment) Bill 2026 to limit the Prime Minister’s term of office to 10 years failed to secure a two-thirds’ majority in the Dewan Rakyat today.
Dewan Rakyat Speaker Tan Sri Johari Abdul said the results of the block vote showed that 146 MPs were in favour, 32 were absent, and 44 abstained.
“Therefore, the decision is that the motion did not receive a two-thirds’ majority support,” he said before adjourning the sitting, which resumes tomorrow.
The constitutional amendment requires the support of at least two-thirds of the House, or 148 MPs, to be passed.
Earlier, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, in tabling the bill for its second reading, said the introduction of a term limit could be seen as a preventive measure to curb wrongdoing by reducing the risk of prolonged concentration of power and the possibility of corruption or abuse of trust.
The bill was subsequently debated by 41 MPs from both sides.
Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform) Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said in winding up the debate said the proposed amendment constitutes a progressive institutional reform.
“The amendment would not alter the basic structure of Article 43 of the Federal Constitution nor affect the discretionary powers of the King in appointing the Prime Minister based on the confidence of the Dewan Rakyat,” she said.
During the session, Datuk Seri Takiyuddin Hassan (PN-Kota Bharu) brought up the need to obtain the consent of the Conference of Rulers for the amendment, arguing that it touches on the privileges and prerogatives of the King under Article 38(4) of the Federal Constitution.
However, Azalina said the amendment to Article 43 does not fall within the category requiring the consent of the Conference of Rulers, as it does not affect the sovereignty, prerogatives or personal position of the Malay Rulers.
