Bersih renews call for Fixed-term Parliament Act

 The electoral reform group says the law will prevent political instability as seen after the Sheraton Move in 2020.

Bersih said the bill to limit the prime minister’s tenure represented a major leap in the government’s institutional reform agenda, with long-term implications for governance and democratic accountability. (Bernama pic)

PETALING JAYA:

 Electoral reform group Bersih has renewed the call for the introduction of a Fixed-term Parliament Act (FTPA) to prevent political instability caused by mid-term changes of government.

It cited the Sheraton Move, which led to the collapse of the elected government in 2020, as an example of how mid-term changes in government can undermine political stability.

“Frequent changes within a short period create instability in government and undermine efforts to uphold the principles of parliamentary democracy,” it said in a statement.

In 2024, law and institutional reform minister Azalina Othman Said said the proposed FTPA was under close study.

Earlier today in the Dewan Rakyat, she tabled two bills — one to separate the roles of the attorney-general and the public prosecutor, and the other to limit the prime minister’s tenure to two terms.

She said the second reading of both bills is scheduled to take place during the current parliamentary sitting.

Bersih said the bill to limit the prime minister’s tenure represents a major leap in the government’s institutional reform agenda, with long-term implications for governance and democratic accountability.

“Bersih urges all MPs to support the bill and ensure it is passed,” it said, adding that the measure would help prevent the concentration of power in the hands of the prime minister. - FMT