Term limit should also be for MPs, Aduns, not just PM – Don

Dr Muzaffar Syah Mallow

KUCHING (Nov 30): The limit on service term should not be for the Prime Minister’s post only but also for members of Parliament (MPs) and state assembly members (Aduns), Associate Professor Dr Muzaffar Syah Mallow has suggested.

He said that while many people are welcoming the proposal to limit the tenure of the Prime Minister to two terms, Malaysia might also consider limiting the service of people’s representatives at federal and state level to two terms as well.

He pointed out this allows more suitable Malaysians to come forward to contest in the election process and become people’s representatives.

Having the service term limited, he believed it would also ensure no individual can hold power for a very long time which could expose them to the risk of abuse of power, corruption, and other misconducts.

“At the same time, allowing new faces to become people’s representatives in our Parliament or State Assembly would allow more new and fresh ideas to come in for the development and progress of our nation.

“Malaysians are already fed up looking at same faces with old ideas whenever they read news which come from Parliament or any of the state assemblies,” said Muzaffar from Faculty of Syariah & Laws (FSU), Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia (Usim) yesterday.

On Nov 25, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Parliament and Law) Datuk Seri Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar announced the federal government had launched two surveys to obtain public feedback before it enacts laws that limit the prime minister’s term and stop elected lawmakers from switching political parties.

Wan Junaidi was quoted as saying both studies are spearheaded by the Legal Affairs Division (BHEUU) of the Prime Minister’s Department.

The limit of the prime minister’s term was among matters agreed between the government and Pakatan Harapan following the implementation of the memorandum of understanding (MoU) on Transformation and Political Stability.

Muzaffar in his statement also said the time had come for Malaysians to take a drastic step and make drastic changes to the current political and administrative status quo by having a term limit of service for people’s representatives both at federal and state level.

He stressed that every qualified Malaysian has the right to come forward and become MP or Adun.

“However, this is currently hard to achieve when certain politicians refuse to go for retirement and want to be in power as long as they wish,” he said.

Commenting further, he said the Federal Constitution, State Constitution or any of existing laws in the country were silent on the term of service for people’s representatives.

As time progresses, he added, changes need to be made to the current political and administrative status quo on this issue.

“The current proposal to put term limit to the Prime Minister post should also be extended to all top executive positions like the ministers at federal level, Chief Ministers and their Exco at state level as well to all people’s representatives at federal and state level.

“The above suggestion should be seen positively as part of the move to strengthen our democratic process and values.

“We should allow new faces to come forward, contest for election, become people’s representatives, and hold executive positions in the country,” he said.

He also said since the suggestion will require many changes and amendment to be made to the constitution and laws, the government can form a special committee comprising experts in relevant fields to analyse the proposal further.

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