Rigid term limits may undermine policy continuity, says SUPP Stakan chief

KUCHING (Jan 11): Imposing rigid term limits risks creating a ‘start-stop’ governance cycle that may undermine long-term planning and momentum, said Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) Stakan branch chairman Dato Sim Kiang Chiok.

He said such recommendations would ‘warrant careful and balanced consideration’.

“While leadership renewal is important in any democracy, Sarawak’s unique development trajectory and constitutional position require stability, continuity and long-term policy consistency,” he said.

He was responding to Senator Abun Sui Anyit’s recent proposal of extending Putrajaya’s move to limit the Prime Minister’s tenure to a maximum of two terms, as well as to make it applicable to the Premier of Sarawak and other state leaders.

Sim also pointed out that Malaysia’s parliamentary and state legislatures operated under the Westminster System.

“Under this framework, a Prime Minister, Premier, Chief Minister or Menteri Besar remains in office only so long as they command legislative confidence, maintain support from the party and the cabinet, retain electoral legitimacy, and remain subject to judicial oversight.

“These mechanisms already provide robust checks and balances against abuse of power,” he said.

Sim added that while earlier periods of stable leadership allowed consistent policy direction, the rapid change of four prime ministers within five years, particularly during the pandemic crisis, resulted in shifting strategies, policies and national priorities, which he viewed as ‘weakening the effectiveness of governance’.

“For a developing state like Sarawak, long-term strategies are essential for infrastructure development, human capital investment and economic transformation.

“Fixed term limits may discourage leaders from pursuing policies where the benefits extend beyond their tenure, while also weakening accountability for long-term outcomes.

“More critically, frequent leadership changes could dilute Sarawak’s negotiating strength in asserting and safeguarding its rights under the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63),” he said.

On Tuesday, Abun had suggested that the federal government’s plan to limit the Prime Minister’s tenure to a maximum of two terms, or 10 years, to also be extended to the Sarawak Premier and state leaders such as the chief ministers or the menteri besar.

He opined that reform should be implemented through amendments to the respective state constitutions, in line with state powers and jurisdictions as provided for under the Federal Constitution.