Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has hinted at a major reform in the country’s political system in his 2026 New Year’s address. He said that the government is going to propose a bill to limit the prime minister’s term to a maximum of two terms, or 10 years.
He mentioned that the bill is planned to be introduced in parliament in January. According to analysts, this initiative can play an important role in ensuring the balance of power and accountability in Malaysia’s governance system.
New Year’s Announcement
Anwar Ibrahim highlighted this proposal in his speech at the monthly meeting of the Prime Minister’s Office. He said that every leadership needs to have a specific term. He also noted that staying in power for a long time creates the risk of abuse of power. That is why the government wants to take this reform step.
In addition, he clarified that this bill will not apply to state governors or chief ministers. According to the government, it will further strengthen the national-level leadership structure.
Legal Reform Initiatives
In addition to the term limit bill, the government has announced that it will propose another important law. That is, to separate the responsibilities of the public prosecutor from the powers of the attorney general. The aim of this move is to ensure independence in criminal cases. At the same time, one of its objectives is to stop political interference.
According to the government, this reform is necessary to increase the transparency and credibility of the judiciary.
Political Context
Currently, there is no fixed term limit for the prime minister in Malaysia. As a result, a prime minister can remain in power for a long time if he has the support of parliament. Although such a proposal was brought in 2019, it was not passed by parliament. The country has had a total of 10 prime ministers since independence.
The longest-serving prime minister was Tun Mahathir Mohamad, who served for nearly 24 years. The current prime minister, Anwar Ibrahim, took office in November 2022 and is now serving his first term.
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