Kuala Lumpur: The Dewan Rakyat failed to pass a constitutional amendment to limit the prime minister’s tenure to 10 years, after the proposal fell two votes short of the required two-thirds majority.
The Bill secured 146 votes out of 222, missing the 148 votes needed to amend the Federal Constitution.
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Dewan Rakyat Speaker Tan Sri Johari Abdul said 32 Members of Parliament were absent, while 44 MPs present did not cast their votes during the bloc vote.
The result surprised many as the National Unity Government is believed to command more than a two-thirds majority in Parliament.
Opposition lawmakers *cheered and applauded after the Speaker announced that the amendment had failed to meet the constitutional threshold.
Opposition MPs had earlier argued the Bill could undermine the Yang di-Pertuan Agong’s constitutional discretion to appoint a prime minister under Article 40(2)(a).
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim denied this claim, saying the amendment would not affect the Agong’s prerogative or the Dewan Rakyat’s role in determining confidence in the government.
Some MPs also suggested the proposal should include a rule preventing a prime minister from holding the finance minister portfolio simultaneously. - Malay Mail
