Malaysia PM Plans Government Reforms as Parliament Sitting Nears

(Bloomberg) -- Malaysian Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob has proposed an overhaul of rules governing the administration of government and lawmakers as parliament prepares to reconvene on Monday.

The recommendations include a ban on party-hopping and limiting the prime minister’s term to 10 years, Ismail Sabri said in a statement on Friday. Laws will be revised to allow youths under 18 to vote while government and opposition lawmakers will have a balanced representation in parliamentary select committees, he added.

“This offer is intended to create a new political landscape by instituting a transformation and reforms in the code of conduct in administration, especially in enhancing the role of parliament,” Ismail Sabri said.

Opposition members will be involved in the National Recovery Council and all bills tabled in parliament will be discussed and agreed on collectively, the premier said. The opposition leader will be given benefits that are similar to that offered to a minister, he added.

The parliamentary sitting on Monday will be Ismail Sabri’s first after he was sworn in as prime minister last month. He replaced Muhyiddin Yassin who resigned amid mounting anger over the government’s handling of the pandemic and the economy.

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