I followed the parliamentary debate on the proposed constitutional amendment to limit the Prime Minister’s term to 10 years and was genuinely convinced that this Bill would receive overwhelming support from MPs on both sides of the divide. Indeed, many Opposition MPs, during their debates, expressed support for the Bill in principle, raising only one or two specific objections. It is worth recalling that limiting the Prime Minister’s term was a key pledge in the 2018 general election manifesto — a commitment that even Bersatu (now in the Opposition) once stood by.

Two main objections were raised. First, that the amendment would reduce the powers of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong. This concern has since been clarified by numerous MPs, including the Prime Minister and the Minister in charge of law. Second, that there should be a constitutional prohibition against the Prime Minister concurrently holding the Finance Minister portfolio. This, ironically, was also an original PH manifesto promise, one that they have now seemingly abandoned.

However, these objections do not justify the Bill being shelved simply because it failed to secure the two-thirds majority required for constitutional amendments. Every MP who was absent or who abstained from voting has done a grave disservice to the democratic aspirations of the people they were elected to represent. This is a betrayal.

The government, perhaps was too overconfident and assumed the amendments could be pushed through with ease, without engaging in deeper consultation with key stakeholders. The Opposition, for its part, could have chosen to focus its resistance on the more controversial amendments related to the separation of powers allowing this particular reform on the PM’s term limit to pass unopposed.

There are lessons here for all parties. But the bottom line remains: PSM is deeply disappointed that such a meaningful reform has been defeated. Years of advocacy and public campaigning on this issue have now been wasted.

S. Arutchelvan
Deputy Chairperson
Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM)

3 March 2026