Malaysia mulls law to curb premiership to two terms

Malaysia introduced new legislation Monday (February 23, 2026) to restrict the prime minister’s tenure to a maximum of two terms, a move aimed at boosting accountability and curbing the overreach of executive powers.

The Southeast Asian nation currently places no cap on how many terms a premier can serve.

Former leader Mahathir Mohamad held office for 24 years across two stints — from 1981 to 2003 and again between 2018 and 2020.

Current Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim in January announced a push for a two-term limit amid renewed calls for him to tackle corruption and improve governance.

In its election manifesto in 2022, Mr. Anwar’s ruling Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition in 2022 pledged a two-term limit on the premiership.

But there has been criticism about the slow pace of reform, local media reports said, with the move seen as an attempt to win back urban voters in the run-up to general elections slated for next year.

Mr. Anwar last week said that if the law is implemented, it would apply to him first.

He added that a 10-year period was sufficient for those in office to carry out their responsibilities effectively.

“I won’t be making laws for other people. The law must be applied to me first,” he said.

The proposed change requires approval from at least two-thirds of lawmakers, or 148 out of the 222 seats in the lower house, to pass.

Currently, there is no formal constitutional limit on how long a prime minister may serve, provided the individual commands majority support in the Dewan Rakyat, the Malaysian parliament.