CSOs urge MPs, senators to back 10-year PM term limit

KUCHING (March 1): Nine civil society organisations (CSOs) have called upon all 222 MPs and 58 senators to support the Constitutional Amendment Bill on Article 43, which proposes a 10-year tenure limit for the prime minister (PM).

The CSOs include Project Stability and Accountability for Malaysia, Coalition for Clean and Fair Election, Institute For Democracy and Economic Affairs, Rasuah Busters, Pertubuhan IKRAM Malaysia, Centre to Combat Corruption and Cronyism, Angkatan Belia Islam Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur and Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall, and CSO Platform for Reforms.

They stressed that the amendment was fully constitutional, countering claims that it would restrict the Yang di-Pertuan Agong’s pick in appointing a prime minister.

“In the same vein, the insertion of Clauses 2A, 4A, 4B, 4C and AD in Article 43 is perfectly constitutional.

“The red herring raised stems from either an innocent misreading of Article 43 or a malicious misinterpretation to block a democratising and stabilising reform by cynically dragging in the monarchical institution,” they said in a joint statement on Saturday.

They outlined four major benefits of the tenure limit: promoting generational leadership renewal, disciplining politics with clear policy goals, reducing concentration of power and risks of corruption, and enhancing political stability by preventing prolonged power struggles.

While urging Parliament to pass the Bill without delay, the CSOs recommended refinements, including clarifying the caretaker PM’s role after Parliament dissolution and aligning term calculations with a future Fixed Term Parliament Act.

They added that the proposed 10-year limit would align Malaysia with other parliamentary democracies such as Botswana, South Africa, Guyana, Belize, Cayman Islands, Thailand and Bangladesh.

The CSOs also commended Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and the Madani Government, along with Minister in Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform) Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said and the Legal Affair Bureau (BHEUU), for their efforts in advancing the reform.