Constitution (Amendment) Bill 2026

Constitution (Amendment) Bill 2026
Parliament of Malaysia
  • An Act to amend the Federal Constitution.
CitationD.R.4/2026
Territorial extentMalaysia
Considered byDewan Rakyat
Legislative history
Introduced byAzalina Othman Said - Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Law and Institutional Reform)
First reading23 February 2026
Second reading2 March 2026
Voting summary
  • 146 voted for
  • None voted against
  • 44 abstained
  • 32 absent
Amends
Federal Constitution of Malaysia
Summary
A constitutional amendment to impose a 10 years term limit on the office of Prime Minister.
Keywords
Prime Minister, term limit, term of office, Cabinet
Status: Not passed

Constitution (Amendment) Bill 2026 (Malay: Rang Undang-Undang Perlembagaan (Pindaan) 2026) is a proposed constitutional amendment in Malaysia to impose a 10 years term limit on the office of the Prime Minister of Malaysia. This proposed bill, if passed, would prohibit any person from holding the office of prime minister for more than an aggregated amount of 10 years, whether in a continuous term or otherwise.

If a prime minister's tenure exceed the 10-years term limit, he and his Cabinet members would automatically cease to hold their respective offices, but would be permitted to govern as a caretaker government until the appointment of a new prime minister by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.

This newly added term limit would also apply retrospectively to all current and former prime ministers.

On 2 March 2026, the bill failed to achieve two-third majority support in the Dewan Rakyat by two votes and was not passed by the said lower house.

Background

Previous proposals

Before the tabling of this bill, there has been three previous push by the Malaysian government to impose term limits on the post of prime minister.[1][2]

The first push being in 2019, where the Pakatan Harapan (PH) government led by Mahathir Mohamad saught to introduce a two parliamentary terms limit by tabling a similar constitutional amendment bill in December 2019.[1][2][3][4] But the bill was formally withdrawn in August 2020 after the Muhyiddin Yassin-led Perikatan Nasional (PN) government came into power during the 2020-2022 Malaysian political crisis.[5][6][1][2]

The second push was in August 2021, where Muhyiddin in the face of dwindling parliamentary support, proposed a number of reforms, including a two-term limit on prime minister's tenure, to appeal for opposition parties' support.[7][8][9][2] However, Muhyiddin and his cabinet resigned three days later after the announcement.[2]

The third push occured in September 2021, in which prime minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob proposed to introduce a 10-year limit on the post.[10][11][12] The proposal was included in a confidence and supply deal signed with the opposition parties.[13][14] A bill was originally slated to be tabled by March 2022,[15] but was never materialised, and the Malaysian parliament was dissolved in October that year to make way for the 2022 general election.[1]

Current proposal

Following the 2022 general election, Anwar Ibrahim's unity government came into power in December 2022. During parliamentary question time in March[16][17] and July 2024 repectively,[18][19] his government indicated that a study on a proposed 10-year term limit has been underway.

In March 2025, DAP secretary general and transport minister Loke Siew Fook suggested that a maximum 10 years limit should be put on the prime minister position through a constitutional amendment in the next two years, during a speech in his party's 18th national congress,[20][21] in which prime minister Anwar Ibrahim was also in attendance.[21] Following Loke's speech, Anwar in response said that he and his party PKR, and the Pakatan Harapan coalition have agreed to such proposal, but would require two-third majority supports from the members of the parliament,[21][22][23] which include MPs from parties outside the PH coalition.[22][23]

On 19 March 2025, Anwar during a cabinet meeting ordered his cabinet to carry out a comprehensive study on the matter.[24][25] Preliminary findings from an early study was also presented to the cabinet on that day. On 24 July, law minister Azalina Othman Said revealed in a written parliamentary reply that the government will also discuss with various political parties to acquire a consensus over the proposal, including parties from Sabah and Sarawak.[26][27][28]

On 5 January 2026, in his 2026 New Year's Message speech at the prime minister's department, Anwar Ibrahim announced that a bill will be tabled in the upcoming parliamentary session to limit prime minister's term to 10 years or two parliamentary terms, along with other reforms such as separation of the prosecutorial role from the attorney general, Ombudsman Act, and Freedom of Information Act.[29][30][31][32][33][34] Following Anwar's announcement, law minister Azalina Othman later on the same day said that legislations for these reforms would be put up for debate in the upcoming parliament session in February 2026.[35][36][37]

On 29 January, at a press conference after a town hall session on the proposed bill, Azalina said that the cabinet will deliberate on the proposal the following day.[38][39] On 30 January, the cabinet agreed to the proposal and the government decided to proceed with the relevant constitutional amendment.[40][41][42]

On 20 February, when asked about whether the amendment would apply to him, Anwar stated that: "Yes, it starts with me. I cannot make a law for others alone. It must apply to me first".[43][44][45]

In the Dewan Rakyat

The bill was first tabled to the Dewan Rakyat for first reading by the law minister Azalina Othman on 23 February 2026. As this is a constitutional amendment, a two-third majority would be required in order to pass this bill in both Houses of the Parliament.[46] It was originally expected to be debated by the lower house during the second reading stage on 3 March,[46][47] but the second reading was commenced one day earlier on 2 March.[48][49]

On 2 March, after being debated by 41 MPs from both government and opposition parties, the bill was put up to a vote. The bill received 146 votes in favour, no rejection, and 44 abstention. A total of 32 MPs were also absent during the vote. The bill therefore failed to achieve the 148 votes of two-third majority threshold by merely 2 votes, and in consequence failed to be passed by the Dewan Rakyat.[50][51][52][53]

On the following day, communications minister Fahmi Fadzil stated the bill can still be retabled at any time, including in the two upcoming parliamentary sessions in June and October 2026.[54][55]

In Clause 1 of the bill, it is provided that the amendment shall be cited as the Constitution (Amendment) Act 2026, and would only come into operation on a date to be determined by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong in the Gazette.[56]

In Clause 2, the bill will amend Article 43 of the Federal Constitution of Malaysia by inserting a new Clause (2A), which stipulated that no prime minister shall at any time hold the office for more than an aggregated period of 10 years, either in a continuous term or otherwise.[57][58]

Clause 2 of the bill will also insert Clause (4A), (4B), (4C), and (4D) into Article 43, which provided that if the 10 years term limit was exceeded by the prime minister, he would cease to hold the office of prime minister. All cabinet members would also simultaneously cease to hold their ministerial posts if the prime minister exceeded the term limit. However, under the new Clause (4C), the prime minister and the cabinet members can still discharge their functions in the form of a caretaker government until a new prime minister is appointed by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.[46][57][58]

In Clause (4D), it is provided that any person who have held the office of prime minister before the commencement of this amendment shall have their previous premiership duration be taken into account when calculating whether he has exceeded the 10 years limit. However, the period of being a caretaker prime minister after the dissolution of parliament will not be taken into account.[46][57][58]

If it become law, the provision of Clause (4D) would entirely prevent Malaysia's longest-serving prime minister Mahathir Mohamad from being appointed to the office again, as he has previously served for a cumulative of 24 years.[59][60] Ex-prime minister Najib Razak would also only be permitted to served as prime minister for one year, if he was re-elected after being released from prison.[61][60]

A minor consequential amendment will also be made on Clause (5) of Article 43, to include a reference to the new Clause (4B) in Article 43(5).[57]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d Bala Krishnan, Dhesegaan (5 Apr 2025). "Malaysia's third push for a two-term PM limit: What led to this, and how does it compare globally?". Malay Mail. Retrieved 23 February 2026.
  2. ^ a b c d e Hassan, Hafiz (21 March 2025). "Two-term limit for PM: A short story — Hafiz Hassan". Malay Mail. Retrieved 26 February 2026.
  3. ^ Abdullah, Mohsin (19 December 2019). "Politics and Policy: Limiting the prime minister's tenure". The Edge Malaysia. Retrieved 26 February 2026.
  4. ^ "Govt pushes for two-term limit for prime ministers". Malay Mail. Reuters. 3 December 2019. Retrieved 25 February 2026.
  5. ^ Yunus, Arfa (26 August 2020). "Bill to set PM's term limit, IPCMC bill withdrawn [NSTTV]". New Straits Times. Retrieved 26 February 2026.
  6. ^ Wern Jun, Soo (26 August 2020). "Putrajaya withdraws Bills for PM term limit, IPCMC". Malay Mail. Retrieved 26 February 2026.
  7. ^ "Malaysian PM seeks opposition backing in U-turn to stay in power". Al Jazeera. Associated Press. 13 August 2021. Retrieved 26 February 2026.
  8. ^ "[UPDATED] Muhyiddin's final plea for opposition support". The Vibes. 13 August 2021. Retrieved 26 February 2026.
  9. ^ Wern Jun, Soo (13 August 2021). "Muhyiddin says Bills to ban party hopping, limit PM's tenure on the cards". Malay Mail. Retrieved 26 February 2026.
  10. ^ "Malaysian Parliament to witness more transformations". The Malaysian Reserve. Bernama. 11 September 2021. Retrieved 26 February 2026.
  11. ^ Azmi, Hadi (13 September 2021). "Spotlight on PM Ismail Sabri's sweeping reform pledge as Malaysia's parliament set to reconvene". South China Morning Post. Archived from the original on 12 September 2021. Retrieved 26 February 2026.
  12. ^ "Malaysia PM to sign cooperation agreement with opposition". Al Jazeera. 13 September 2021. Retrieved 26 February 2026.
  13. ^ "Details of historic deal between Malaysian govt and opposition Pakatan Harapan". The Straits Times. 14 September 2021. Retrieved 26 February 2026.
  14. ^ Yusof, Amir (14 September 2021). "5 key takeaways from bipartisan cooperation MOU between Malaysian government and opposition Pakatan Harapan". CNA. Retrieved 26 February 2026.
  15. ^ Loheswar, R. (8 February 2022). "Minister confirms anti-hopping and PM term limit Bills will be tabled by March". Malay Mail. Retrieved 26 February 2026.
  16. ^ "New Format On Asset Declaration For Mps, Govt Officials Finalised - Kulasegaran". Bernama. 6 March 2024. Retrieved 27 February 2026.
  17. ^ "Parliamentary Debates of the Special Chamber of Dewan Rakyat [6 March 2024]" (PDF). Parliament of Malaysia (in Malay). 6 March 2024. pp. 14–15. Retrieved 27 February 2026. Dalam perkhidmatan Jabatan Perdana Menteri, pemakaian had perkhidmatan jawatan Perdana Menteri membawa impak perundangan yang besar iaitu melibatkan pindaan yang signifikan kepada Perlembagaan Persekutuan. Oleh itu, kerajaan telah pun memulakan kajian komprehensif mengenai cadangan mengenakan had tempoh maksimum jawatan Perdana Menteri kepada dua penggal. Antara lainnya melibatkan beberapa siri libat urus bersama pihak berkepentingan, serta kajian perbandingan, pelaksanaan tempoh perkhidmatan Perdana Menteri, Presiden yang mengamalkan sistem monarki atau Raja Berperlembagaan dan republik dari negara luar.
  18. ^ "Special Parliament Session Required To Debate 10-year Term Limit For Prime Minister - Azalina". Bernama. 29 July 2024. Retrieved 27 February 2026.
  19. ^ "Oral Answers in the Dewan Negara, Second Meeting of the Third Session of the Fifteenth Parliament 2024 [25 July 2024]" (PDF). Parliament of Malaysia (in Malay). 25 July 2024. Page 138–140 (No Soalan: 56). Retrieved 27 February 2026.
  20. ^ "DAP Wants Federal Constitution To Be Amended To Limit PM's Tenure To 10 Years". Bernama. 16 March 2025. Retrieved 1 March 2026.
  21. ^ a b c Lim, Ida (16 March 2025). "DAP wants Malaysia to limit PM's term to 10 years max, but continues backing Anwar". Malay Mail. Retrieved 1 March 2026.
  22. ^ a b Kaur, Minderjeet; Tan, Rex (16 March 2025). "Anwar backs limiting PM's tenure to two terms". Free Malaysia Today. Retrieved 1 March 2026.
  23. ^ a b Lim, Ida (16 March 2025). "At DAP congress, Anwar backs 10-year PM limit, says '22 years, rosak negara'". Malay Mail. Retrieved 1 March 2026.
  24. ^ Al As, Mohamad (19 March 2025). "Anwar orders cabinet review of 10-year PM tenure proposal - Fahmi". New Straits Times. Retrieved 1 March 2026.
  25. ^ "Fahmi: Anwar calls for thorough study of PM tenure limit". The Malaysian Reserve. Bernama. 19 March 2025. Retrieved 1 March 2026.
  26. ^ Ibrahim, Junaid (25 July 2025). "Govt to study, engage political parties over PM's two-term limit proposal, says Azalina". The Star. Retrieved 2 March 2026.
  27. ^ "Govt to discuss 2-term limit for PM's post with political parties". Free Malaysia Today. 24 July 2025. Retrieved 2 March 2026.
  28. ^ "Answers to Oral Questions That Were Not Answered in the House (Questions No. 11 to No. 66) [24 July 2025]" (PDF). Parliament of Malaysia (in Malay). 24 July 2025. page 33-34 (Question No. 22). Retrieved 2 March 2026.
  29. ^ "Ucapan Amanat Baharu Tahun 2026 Perdana Menteri" [Prime Minister's 2026 New Year's Message Speech]. Prime Minister's Office of Malaysia (in Malay). 5 January 2026. Retrieved 2 March 2026.
  30. ^ "Bill To Limit PM's Tenure To 10 Years To Be Tabled This Year - PM Anwar". Bernama. 5 January 2026. Retrieved 2 March 2026.
  31. ^ Tan, Tarrence; Jun-Yang, Oon (5 January 2026). "Bill to limit PM's tenure to 10 years to be tabled in Parliament, says Anwar". The Star. Retrieved 2 March 2026.
  32. ^ Zainul, Emir (5 January 2026). "Anwar makes push to fulfil long-promised reforms in 2026". The Edge Malaysia. Retrieved 2 March 2026.
  33. ^ Wei Hong, Lu (5 January 2026). "10-year, two-term limit for Malaysia PMs: Anwar announces reforms to win back votes ahead of next GE". The Straits Times. Retrieved 2 March 2026.
  34. ^ Haziq Mahmud, Aqil (5 January 2026). "Two-term limit for Malaysia PM among 2026 reform pledges by Anwar". CNA. Retrieved 2 March 2026.
  35. ^ Zalani, Anis (5 January 2026). "Azalina: Constitutional amendments to begin in February, online safety laws under review". Malay Mail. Retrieved 2 March 2026.
  36. ^ Yunus, Arfa (5 January 2026). "Azalina: 2026 to bring major legal reforms, including fixed two-term limit for PM". The Star. Retrieved 2 March 2026.
  37. ^ Yunus, Arfa (6 January 2026). "Political party leaders to discuss Bill capping PM's term". The Star. Archived from the original on 6 January 2026. Retrieved 2 March 2026.
  38. ^ Ibrahim, Mohd Iskandar; Mat Ruzki, Rafidah (29 January 2026). "Cabinet to discuss PM term limit tomorrow". New Straits Times. Retrieved 2 March 2026.
  39. ^ "Cabinet to deliberate PM term limits amid governance reforms". The Vibes. 29 January 2026. Retrieved 2 March 2026.
  40. ^ Tan, Tarrence (1 February 2026). "Cabinet OKs PM 10-year term limit". The Star. Retrieved 2 March 2026.
  41. ^ "Azalina: Cabinet agrees to 10-year prime minister limit, constitutional amendments to follow". Malay Mail. 31 January 2026. Retrieved 2 March 2026.
  42. ^ "Cabinet approves proposal to limit PM's tenure to 10 years". The Edge Malaysia. Bernama. 31 January 2026. Retrieved 2 March 2026.
  43. ^ "Anwar Seeks Swift Passage Of Two-term PM Limit Bill". Bernama. 20 February 2026. Retrieved 2 March 2026.
  44. ^ "'Must start with me': Anwar urges fast-tracking of Bill to limit PM tenure to two terms". Malay Mail. Bernama. 20 February 2026. Retrieved 2 March 2026.
  45. ^ "PM's term limit applies to me first, says Anwar". Free Malaysia Today. 20 February 2026. Retrieved 2 March 2026.
  46. ^ a b c d Nyen Yiau, Choy (23 February 2026). "Malaysia proposes 10-year limit on prime minister's tenure, starting with Anwar". The Edge Malaysia. Retrieved 25 February 2026.
  47. ^ Augustin, Robin (20 February 2026). "Bills on A-G separation, PM term limit to be tabled next week [WATCH]". New Straits Times. Retrieved 2 March 2026.
  48. ^ "PM term limit, AG role separation focus of Dewan Rakyat today". New Straits Times. Bernama. 2 March 2026. Retrieved 2 March 2026.
  49. ^ "In Dewan Rakyat today: MPs debate 10‑year cap on PM's tenure and push to split AG's powers". Malay Mail. Bernama. 2 March 2026. Retrieved 2 March 2026.
  50. ^ "PM Term Limit Amendment Falls Short of Securing Two-thirds Majority". Bernama. 2 March 2026. Retrieved 2 March 2026.
  51. ^ Latiff, Rozanna (2 March 2026). Khalip, Andrei (ed.). "Malaysia's parliament fails to pass bill limiting PM's tenure to two terms". Reuters. Retrieved 2 March 2026.
  52. ^ "Amendment to cap Malaysia PM's term at 10 years fails by 2 votes in Parliament". The Straits Times. 2 March 2026. Retrieved 2 March 2026.
  53. ^ Zahiid, Syed Jaymal (2 March 2026). "Two votes short: Move to limit PM tenure fails in Parliament amid high absenteeism". Malay Mail. Retrieved 2 March 2026.
  54. ^ "Motion To Introduce Bill To Limit PM Tenure Can Be Brought Back At Any Time - Fahmi". Bernama. 3 March 2026. Retrieved 3 March 2026.
  55. ^ "Bill to limit PM's tenure can be retabled at any time, says Fahmi". The Star. Bernama. 3 March 2026. Retrieved 3 March 2026.
  56. ^ "Constitution (Amendment) Bill 2026 [D.R.4/2026]" (PDF). Parliament of Malaysia. 23 February 2026. Retrieved 25 February 2026.
  57. ^ a b c d "Bill To Limit PM's Tenure To 10 Years Tabled For First Reading". Bernama. 23 February 2026. Retrieved 25 February 2026.
  58. ^ a b c "PM's term limit explained: How Malaysia's new Bill affects past and future leaders". Malay Mail. 23 February 2026. Retrieved 25 February 2026.
  59. ^ Zainudin, Faiz (23 February 2026). "New bill to bar ex-PMs who served more than 10 years from reappointment". Free Malaysia Today. Retrieved 2 March 2026.
  60. ^ a b "Mustahil Najib ikut jejak Tun M jadi PM dua kali" [Impossible for Najib to follow Tun M's footsteps and become PM twice]. Sinar Harian (in Malay). 25 February 2026. Retrieved 2 March 2026.
  61. ^ Kamarulzaman, Zikri (25 February 2026). "Najib masih boleh jadi PM selama setahun lagi" [Najib can be PM for one more year]. MalaysiaKini (in Malay). Retrieved 2 March 2026.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.