KUALA LUMPUR – The Cabinet has confirmed it will retable the bill to limit the prime minister’s tenure to a maximum of 10 years at the next Dewan Rakyat sitting in June, government spokesperson Datuk Fahmi Fadzil announced today.
“We are hopeful and will work towards ensuring that all government backbenchers will attend the session to pass this critical constitutional amendment,” he said during a post-Cabinet meeting press conference.
The decision follows the failure of the bill to secure the necessary two-thirds majority in the Dewan Rakyat on Monday. A total of 146 MPs voted in favour, 44 abstained, and 32 were absent. The bill required at least 148 votes for the constitutional amendment to pass.
Fahmi explained that among the 32 absent MPs, eight were government backbenchers. He revealed that two had submitted official letters explaining their absence, while the remaining six had yet to provide explanations.
He also noted that MPs from Pakatan Harapan had shown 100 per cent attendance during the vote.
Addressing concerns about possible misunderstandings, Fahmi explained that some opposition MPs believed the bill was intended to grant Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim a 10-year term. He clarified that the Cabinet was unsure how such confusion had arisen.
“This amendment is non-partisan and aims to enhance democratic safeguards by ensuring no prime minister can hold office indefinitely,” Fahmi stated. He stressed that the reform would strengthen the country’s democratic system rather than benefit any individual.
He expressed hope that opposition MPs would support the amendment when it is reintroduced in June, as it aligns with democratic reform.
In a separate development, Fahmi confirmed the Cabinet’s attention on another constitutional amendment bill aimed at separating the roles of the Attorney General and the Public Prosecutor. A special select committee chaired by Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform) Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said is scheduled to hold its first meeting on March 16.
The committee is expected to spend about three months gathering feedback and refining the proposed legislation before it is presented to Parliament. – March 4, 2026