Singapore — Opposition leader and lawyer Lim Tean wrote glowingly of a Bill to limit the tenure of Malaysia’s Prime Minister to 10 years, calling it “A Most Democratic Move!”
“Singaporeans should seriously advocate for a term limit for the office of PM and I urge the Opposition in Parliament to table such a Bill,” he wrote in a Jan 30 Facebook post.
A study on the Bill was presented to leaders of Malaysia’s political parties last month, said Datuk Seri Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar, the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Parliament and Law) on Jan 28, adding that it is expected to be tabled in the next Parliament meeting.
Mr Lim, who leads the People’s Voice party, wrote that “term limits are the way to go to forge a better democracy and many progressive countries already practice it. In fact various countries have shortened the term of office for their political leaders.”
In France, he wrote by way of example, the term of office used to be seven years but was reduced to five.
He added, “In Western democracies, voters usually tire of a politician around the 10 year mark,” citing the examples of UK Prime Ministers Margaret Thatcher and Tony Blair, as well as Australian PM John Howard, whom Mr Lim wrote “was eventually ousted at the polls in his 11th year. His constituents did not even re-elect him as their MP.”
In the United States, Presidents are limited to serving only two terms, or eight years in office, and in Indonesia, the term limit for their President, Governors and district chiefs is ten years.
“I have always said that if you can’t get things done in 2 terms or 10 years, you are definitely the wrong person to lead the country.
A true leader does not need a Long runway.”
Mr Lim praised post World War II UK Prime Minister Clement Attlee, who was not in office for very long.
“He led a Labour Government for only 6 years but modern Britain is a product of those 6 Attlee years.The NHS ( National Health Service ), which has become sacred to the British and which guarantees universal healthcare,was a product of the Attlee government. He has been rated the most successful British Prime Minister.”
Another benefit he mentioned of setting term limits is that it prevents a politician “from thinking after a period in office that he owns the country and can treat it as his family business.
It will remind politicians that they are the public servants of the people and not their servants!”
Mr Lim ended his post by adding: “Term limits signal the political maturation of a society and the realisation of voters that no one person is indispensable for the well-being and future of the Nation.”
Many commenters on Mr Lim’s post voiced their agreement. /TISG
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‘Proud of my contribution to Singapore law’ — Lim Tean celebrates pub case win