By Ili Shazwani Ihsan and Iman Muttaqin Yusof
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s plan to cap a PM’s time in office to two five-year terms is facing pushback, with Malaysia’s largest faith-based party rejecting the move and framing it as a threat to Malay-Muslim leadership.
The proposal, part of the Anwar coalition’s 2022 election manifesto, aims to curb long-term political dominance. It’s seen as a nod to former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad’s 22-year rule, from 1981 to 2003.
While PAS – the Malaysia Islamic Party – contends that the reform threatens Malay political dominance, analysts said the claims stoke racial and religious tensions in the nation’s evolving political landscape.
Ten men – all Malay Muslims – have served as Malaysia’s prime minister, overseeing the government of this multi-ethnic and multi-religious nation. Its constitution guarantees that members of the Malay majority can enjoy certain social privileges that are closed to the ethnic Chinese and Indian minorities.
What is Anwar’s proposal?
At last week’s congress of the Democratic Action Party (DAP) – the biggest party in Anwar’s coalition and one that relies on ethnic Chinese and Indian support – the prime minister reaffirmed his commitment to limiting the premiership to two terms.
Loke Siew Fook, DAP secretary general, said the party wanted the government to amend the constitution to cement the term-limit reform, and called it part of Anwar’s legacy.
Anwar, speaking before hundreds at the congress, backed the proposal without hesitation. He pointed to past leaders who stayed in power for decades.
“There is a proposal, and I agree with it – to cap the prime minister’s tenure at 10 years. As we know, a prime minister can serve for as long as 22 years. I support the limitation,” he said.
“Don’t worry, there is no chance I will want to continue beyond 10 years. Even after just two years, I’m already exhausted.”
Days later, Anwar doubled down on the proposal, directing his cabinet to study the proposal, according to a government spokesperson.
How can the government push this through?
The government must amend the constitution, which requires a two-thirds majority in Parliament, to implement the term limit for prime ministers.
Anwar’s coalition apparently has the needed support to push such an amendment, thanks to his alliance with the United Malays National Organization (UMNO) and political parties from Borneo’s states Sabah and Sarawak. Together, they form a two-thirds majority in Parliament, the necessary threshold to amend the constitution.
Why is PAS opposing a term limit?
PAS, the largest opposition party, is pushing back. Its president, Abdul Hadi Awang, argues that term limits go against Islamic principles.
“This is because leadership is a sacred trust from Allah, not merely a temporary position to be passed around for individuals to enjoy before being handed to the next for personal gain,” he wrote on Facebook last week.
He argued that only Muslims should govern Malaysia and warned that leadership legitimacy is lost when leaders “betray their people.”
But PAS’s opposition has little to do with religious principles, according to analysts.
“The conditions set forth by [PAS] are meant to show they are still relevant and powerful in [Malaysia’s] current political chaos,” Hazree Mohd Turee, the managing director for BowerGroupAsia in Malaysia, told BenarNews.
“They will continue to present themselves as the defenders of the Malays to stay relevant among Malay voters.”
Where does UMNO stand?
UMNO, once Malaysia’s most dominant party, has remained largely silent on the PAS racial and religious objections.
Meanwhile, Awang Azman Awang Pawi, a political analyst at the University of Malaya, said the idea of restricting the PM’s office to Malay Muslims should not be up for debate.
“This shouldn’t be an issue right now because most Malaysians understand the social reality that Malays are the majority and Islam is the official religion,” he told BenarNews.
“It’s unrealistic to think the minority would dominate the majority.
“Any prime minister, regardless of race, has always governed inclusively, without sidelining minority communities.”
What are legal and constitutional challenges?
Legal analysts warn that imposing term limits on the prime minister could trigger complications under Malaysia’s monarchy system.
Wan Ahmad Fauzi Wan Husain, an associate professor at the International Institute of Islamic Thought and Civilization (ISTAC), said restricting the prime minister’s tenure would limit the king’s constitutional prerogative under Article 43. It allows the king to appoint any lawmaker who commands majority support in Parliament.
Any amendment that curtails the king’s discretion would require the consent of the Conference of Rulers, not just a two-thirds majority in Parliament,” Wan Ahmad Fauzi told BenarNews, referring to the country’s sultans who take turns on the national throne.
“This isn’t a simple political decision; it affects the powers of the monarchy.”
Could Malaysia support a non-Malay PM?
Legally, Malaysia’s constitution does not require the prime minister to be Malay or Muslim, but since independence in 1957, all 10 have been.
In addition, the constitution does not require the prime minister to be male, but the candidate must command majority support in the Parliament.
Senior lawyer Haniff Khatri Abdulla noted that while the constitution is silent on racial or religious requirements, it upholds four key pillars: Islam as the official religion; Malay as the national language; special rights for Malays and indigenous people; and the role of the Malay rulers.
“For now, a non-Malay or non-Muslim prime minister isn’t politically feasible – not because the constitution prohibits it, but because it would disrupt the foundations of Malaysia’s federal system,” he said.
Political analyst Syaza Shukri, of the International Islamic University Malaysia, dismissed concerns that term limits would lead to a non-Malay prime minister, calling such arguments more about political maneuvering than genuine fears.
“I do believe that for them, good governance includes having a Malay PM as a ‘guarantee’ against abuse of power,” Syaza, an associate professor at the department of political science, told BenarNews.
“And from my research, good governance is secondary to the racial and religious identity of the PM. All this talk about good governance is really farcical.”