Term limit may rob nation of capable leaders, says analyst

KUCHING (Jan 7): Imposing a term limit on Malaysia’s prime minister could deny the public the continued service of capable leaders, said political analyst Prof Datu Dr Neilson Ilan Mersat.

Ilan, from the Faculty of Social Science and Humanity at Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (Unimas), cited former United States president Bill Clinton as an example of a leader whose tenure was legally curtailed despite strong leadership performance.

“The US president’s tenure is limited to a maximum of two terms, or 10 years. There is no need for a term limit,” he said.

“What is more important is to strengthen internal mechanisms within political parties or through other means to show a leader the exit door once he is no longer capable or able to exit door once he is no longer capable or able to deliver. There is no need for a rigid term limit.”

Clinton, who served as US president from 1993 to 2001, presided over a period of strong economic growth, balanced the federal budget and achieved the first budget surplus in decades.

His administration also passed major legislation, including the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and the granting of Permanent Normal Trade Relations (PNTR) to China.

He signed the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act to pursue tighter gun control and enacted tougher crime policies, during which crime rates fell.

In foreign policy, Clinton intervened in the Bosnian and Kosovo conflicts and supported peace efforts in the Middle East.

Despite facing impeachment over the Monica Lewinsky scandal—from which he was acquitted—Clinton went on to establish the Clinton Foundation after leaving office, focusing on global health and development initiatives.

On Monday, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim announced plans to introduce a term limit for the prime minister during a New Year’s special assembly in Putrajaya, where he was accompanied by Cabinet ministers.

Anwar said the move was part of reviving reform pledges that were among Pakatan Harapan’s (PH) key electoral promises.

The PH chairman said a Bill to limit the prime minister’s tenure to 10 years would likely be tabled at the upcoming parliamentary sitting at the end of January, alongside a proposed law to separate the powers of the attorney general and the public prosecutor.