Govt To Convene Meeting With Party Leaders On PM Term Limit Bill - Azalina

PUTRAJAYA, Jan 5 (Bernama) -- The government will convene a meeting of all political party leaders to discuss a Bill to cap the Prime Minister's tenure at a maximum of ten years or two full terms.

Minister in the Prime Minister's Department for Law and Institutional Reform, Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said, stated that the meeting will be held in the near future as the Bill is expected to be tabled in this Parliamentary session.

"I have to meet all the party leaders so that we can get more than a two-thirds majority. The (Prime Minister) just mentioned it earlier. I will hold the meeting in the near future," she told the media after her 2026 New Year Message at the department, here today.

Azalina clarified that the Bill would not apply to the positions of Chief Minister or Menteri Besar. 

"This is indeed something on which we in the Legal Affairs Division (BHEUU) have conducted considerable study," she said.

Earlier today, during the 2026 New Year Message at the Prime Minister’s Department monthly assembly, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said that the Bill is one of four new laws to be tabled as part of Parliament's agenda for the year.

In March last year, while chairing a Cabinet meeting, Anwar called for a thorough study of the proposal to limit the prime minister’s tenure to 10 years.

Three other Bills will also be tabled this year, covering the separation of the roles of the Attorney General and Public Prosecutor, the establishment of an Ombudsman, and Freedom of Information (FOI).

Meanwhile, Azalina said all four Bills will be tabled in February, following the debate on the motion of thanks for the Royal Address.

She emphasised that these Bills will steer the nation towards strengthening genuine accountability and public trust.

"Regarding the Bills to establish an Ombudsman and Freedom of Information, I believe we can proceed with these in the current Parliamentary session. 

She explained that the Freedom of Information framework will grant public access to information, and it operates in tandem with the Ombudsman Bill to help combat corruption, improve the quality of public service, protect citizens, and strengthen Malaysia’s principles of democracy and rule of law. 

"I consider the establishment of both the FOI and the Ombudsman to be extremely important. These are laws that are sharply focused on public demand.

"In many developed nations, FOI and an Ombudsman are regarded as fundamental components of a country's system of checks and balances," she said.

Azalina added that the BHEUU will expand its town hall sessions and conventions to gather feedback and views from various stakeholders and to enhance public understanding of the Bills. 

-- BERNAMA