Absence of MPs from term-limit bill vote a let-down

We are not talking about approval being missed by two votes, but the fact that 32 MPs were missing.

From Wong Chun Wai

It was a big let-down for Malaysians. We thought that our MPs would support the rare and defining moment to back the Constitution (Amendment) Bill 2026 – a long-awaited reform initiative that cuts across the political divide.

Our lawmakers cannot be whining about the purported slow progress of reforms and yet choose to abstain or, worse, be absent from the Dewan Rakyat when an opportunity comes to make a difference.

It was an opportunity to entrench a 10-year limit in the Federal Constitution for any individual to serve as prime minister.

The absence of eight government lawmakers, coupled with the refusal of some opposition lawmakers to support the amendment, was hugely disappointing.

Bukit Gantang MP Syed Abu Hussin Hafiz Syed Abdul Fasal, a former Bersatu leader who is now backing the government, said he decided to skip the meeting because he disagreed with the new law.

Larry Sng, the Sarawakian MP from Julau, said he was caught in a traffic jam, which can hardly be accepted as an excuse. “I was on my way back to Parliament from a prior engagement but was stuck in traffic,” Sng reportedly said.

M Saravanan, the MP for Tapah, said he was attending a religious function.

Other absentees were Hishammuddin Hussein (Sembrong), Henry Sum Agong (Lawas), Suhaimi Nasir (Libaran), Riduan Rubin (Tenom) and Jeffrey Kitingan (Keningau).

In the bloc vote, 146 MPs supported the bill, 44 abstained and 32 were absent. It needed at least 148 votes to meet the two-thirds majority required for a constitutional amendment. All the Pakatan Harapan MPs from DAP and PKR attended and voted for the bill.

The failure of the Madani government to push through the bill does not constitute a vote of no confidence. No one voted against the bill. But it was undoubtedly an embarrassment, as the optics were bad. There should have been better coordination.

Surely, the government whips and coordinators should not take for granted that MPs will turn up. This was, after all, an amendment to the Federal Constitution.

Malaysian voters are not going to buy the flimsy excuses offered by the absentee government MPs. Some have not even bothered to explain themselves.

We are not talking about approval being missed by two votes, but the fact that 32 MPs were missing. To put it bluntly, they ponteng (played truant).

When MPs fail to show up for such a historic vote, it is not a minor procedural lapse; it is a dereliction of responsibility. There was no excuse for abstaining either, unless the aim was simply not to support the bill for the sake of opposing a government initiative.

The opposition MPs could not find a reason to vote against it, as it was a fundamental reform aimed at strengthening democratic governance.

A two-term or 10-year limit for the PM would have signalled Malaysia’s commitment to institutional renewal and the prevention of excessive concentration of power.

But the opposition chose to abstain and then gloat and celebrate after the bill failed to get through. One may disagree with the government of the day, but constitutional reform should transcend partisan lines.

The proposed amendment was not about targeting any individual or political party. It was about ensuring that no future prime minister, regardless of party, would be able to remain in office indefinitely.

It was about institutional safeguards, not personalities. It was not about politics. This was a major political reform initiative.

It is not even something new, as in the US, the presidency is capped at two terms. In Indonesia, the constitution similarly limits the president to two five-year terms.

As voters, we have every right to demand accountability, and the media must ask the 32 MPs why they were absent. It is bad enough that we have to put up with the theatrics of some MPs; we expect them to be there when it comes to deciding on critical issues.

Nevertheless, this is not the end, as the amendment can and should be retabled. If reform is to mean anything, it will require discipline, unity of purpose, and above all, the willingness to put national interest above party strategy.

Wong Chun Wai is a national journalism laureate and the chairman of Bernama.

The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of FMT.