Think tank calls for white paper on proposed law to limit PM’s term

 

IDEAS CEO Tricia Yeoh said the government should provide a clear plan and timeline for the formulation of the new law. (Bernama pic)

PETALING JAYA: 

A think tank has called on the law and institutional reform ministry to prepare a white paper on a proposed constitutional amendment seeking to limit the prime minister’s tenure in office to a maximum of 10 years.

The Institute for Democracy and Economic Affairs (Ideas) said it understood the government’s desire to study the proposal comprehensively, including by looking at how other countries approached the matter, but said the process must not take too long.

We welcome such a study, but it should be accompanied by a clear plan and timeline which is not too long,

 Ideas CEO Tricia Yeoh told FMT.

She also said the proposal should be comprehensive, contain recommendations on the mechanism to be employed, and involve all stakeholders.

The ideal (way) is for the government to work on, and present, a white paper on the subject that can be discussed widely in consultation with professional bodies and civil society,

 said Yeoh.

On Monday, law and institutional reform minister Azalina Othman Said was quoted as saying that a comprehensive study was needed if the prime minister’s term was to be limited to 10 years.

She added that such an amendment to the Federal Constitution would require in-depth discussions and decisions at Cabinet level. A special session of Parliament would also need to be convened for both Houses to debate the draft bill.

Azalina said the government had on March 11, 2022 considered a memorandum from then prime minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob on the Constitution (Amendment) Bill 2022 aimed at limiting the prime minister’s tenure to no more than 10 years.

However, she said, the government postponed its decision on the memorandum to allow for a more comprehensive review, especially concerning policy matters.

Meanwhile, Bersih chairman Faisal Abdul Aziz said any decision involving an amendment to the constitution would need to be studied thoroughly.

But at least in order for the rakyat to know the progress, the government needs to be transparent (about the progress) of the studies (carried out),

 he said.

Faisal urged the government to outline the process, especially in terms of consultations done with experts.

He also said any bill on the prime minister’s tenure should come hand-in-hand with a proposed political funding law, expected to be tabled in Parliament before the end of this year.

In May, the All-Party Parliamentary Group Malaysia on Political Financing said the draft bill would likely only be tabled in December, as the Dewan Rakyat sitting in October would be taken up entirely by the tabling of next year’s federal budget. - FMT