Malaysia has recently enacted new legislation to restrict the prime minister’s term to a maximum of two terms, in an effort to enhance accountability and prevent excessive executive powers. Currently, there is no limit on the number of terms a premier can serve in the Southeast Asian country.
Former leader Mahathir Mohamad served for 24 years in two separate periods, from 1981 to 2003 and then again from 2018 to 2020. The current Malaysian Prime Minister, Anwar Ibrahim, announced his support for a two-term limit in January, following renewed demands for addressing corruption and enhancing governance.
In its 2022 election manifesto, Anwar’s ruling Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition committed to implementing a two-term limit for the premiership. However, there have been concerns raised about the perceived slow progress in implementing reforms, as reported by local media sources.