10 years in office not a benchmark for Prime Ministerial success – Tun M

PUTRAJAYA - The duration of a Prime Minister's term is not an accurate measure of success in the administration of a country.

Former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said that the individual's ability and integrity in fulfilling their responsibilities were more important than the length of their tenure.

He also believed that the proposal to limit the Prime Minister's term to 10 years would not solve the problem if the person chosen failed to perform their duties effectively.

“Even if it is limited to 10 years, if the person is not of good character, they can cause harm to the country.

“However, if the Prime Minister is successful and good then 10 years is not enough. That’s my opinion,” he said during the Iftar event of the Perdana Leadership Foundation here on Thursday.

He was commenting on DAP's proposal to limit the Prime Minister's tenure to 10 years.

Dr Mahathir said that he held the position for 22 years, which is quite a long duration for a national leader.

“Even so, there was still a lot of work left to do that required more time.

“Even with 22 years, I couldn’t complete all the plans I had.

“What matters is not how long a Prime Minister serves but the possibility of them being removed or replaced if they do something wrong,” he said.

Therefore, he emphasised the critical role of elected representatives in ensuring that only competent individuals are given the mandate to lead the country.

“That’s why elected representatives must support a Prime Minister who does good and is approved by the people in elections,” he added.